Statement
"Like a butterfly in a long lost cocoon, I was finally set free". This saying has been apart of me for many years. I am a later in life Artist who finally grew strong enough to break through my cocoon called life. I was drawing and making art starting at a young age and then as I grew older life seem to get in the way. I had inklings of arts and crafts come into my life over the years. I taught training classes for Child Care Professionals in art and crafts in the 1990s. I knew that I loved making things and finally took the steps to move forward with my art making in 2010 at age 52. I learned a lot about my artistic interest in Ceramic Sculpture and Installation while attending Santa Monica College and Chabot College. I completed my Bachelors of Art in Art Practice at UC Berkeley in 2016. I am currently expanding my art using recycled materials, like clay, plastic, and miscellaneous objects. I like experimenting with Japanese ceramic glazes and techniques which helps me tap into my Japanese ancestry. My artworks tap into my identity of being bi-racial along with various social issues like domestic abuse, rape, homelessness, inequality, sexuality, empowerment, and the spirit and healing world of crystals.
Bio
Kay T aka Kei T is a later in life artist and life long student born in 1958 who has a deep rooted interest in the history of art which she feels is the foundation of all art practices. The themes that surround her art are associated with various cultural and societal issues that range from identity and women’s issues to domestic violence. She grew up with a Japanese mother and White American father among racism in the Midwest during the 1960's and 70's.
Her art practice is an ongoing experimentation with recycled materials such as recycled clay, plastic bags, and paper, in addition to donated items, such as, bras and stories from domestic violence survivors in which to create sculptural installations with a social message. Her recent ceramic pottery and sculptures are created by using recycled clay and Japanese glazes and firing techniques to tap into her Japanese heritage. She recently became interested in the vibrational healing powers of crystals. She now uses crystals in her craft angels that she designed over 30 years ago. Her love of and selling of healing crystals is an evolution in her interest of her ancestral ties to healing, clairvoyants and psychics.
She received her AA in Art History at Santa Monica College and her Bachelors of Art in Art Practice from University of California, Berkeley in 2016
