Kaitlyn Anderson was born and raised in North Georgia. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 3D Studio Arts from Georgia Southern University in 2022. She is currently a candidate for a Master of Fine Arts with a concentration in Ceramics at the University of Tennessee Knoxville. Her work has been shown at the Armstrong Fine Arts Gallery.

Artist Statement

Throughout my life, I have held closely certain truths. Of these, the most recently apparent has been the existence and inevitability of loss. Over the last year, through Covid, isolation, and the general turmoil of the world, I found myself consumed by an inescapable cloud. After the death of two grandmothers, and the abrupt end of a six-year, narcissistic, toxic relationship; I no longer knew myself. In the blink of an eye, I had lost my entire sense of self, my worth, relationships, and companionship. With this, my artistic research has taken a hard turn into the exploration of loss. I have found that it is, in some capacity or another, a universal feeling. The end of relationships, death of loved ones, and lack of sense of self are common explorations throughout my body of work.

My art is often heavily figurative, but with a deeply conceptual background. My work draws on common imagery from the Renaissance, focusing on naturalistic qualities, with an emphasis on color and anatomy, as well as my sculptural body of work often taking on a contrapposto stance. I also enjoy bringing in natural symbols such as hearts, mushrooms, and bones to push my theoretical ideas into the natural world around the viewer. I use the human body as one of my main forms of expression because I believe no matter the viewer’s background, it is a recognizable and relatable form. I strive for all of my artwork to break the boundaries of language, allowing familiar forms and expressions through the human body, such as pain or uncomfortable sensations.

My process is often a long stage of planning and researching, followed by an even longer stage of creation. My research is heavily dependent on internal insight, as well as historical, pulling from what I learn to allow myself to grow. I focus my historical studies on previous artists who conquer similar topics, aiming to learn from their successes. My concept is the lifeblood of my art, and I strive to fully develop said ideas before I move into the physical aspect of my work. As a multimedia artist, I often find myself pushing the boundaries of my mediums, combining them, and reaching their limitations. This goes hand in hand with my common theme of exploring the boundaries of the human form, twisting it into uncomfortable positions to support my ideas. I use my forms and materials to express my concepts and attempt to create works that allow the viewer a place to pause a moment and contemplate. I am not subtle, but I allow my work to have a certain subtlety to it. rather than be grotesque, I hope the work alone will draw in the viewer before allowing them to fully explore its depths.