artist list

Poplar Tower with Twigs Poplar Bark, Waxed Linen, Hemlock Twigs 21”x6”x 5”

Artist Biography:

Kim Keats holds a BFA from Augusta State University (1981), pursued graduate studies in fibers at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts (1986–1988) and received an MFA from Georgia Southern University (1997). Keats’ fiber works have been exhibited in museums such as the Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston, SC, the Museum of York County in Rock Hill, SC, the South Carolina State Museum in Columbia, and the Orlando Museum of Art in Florida. Her works were included in the traveling exhibits, Craft of the Carolinas and Material Objects, organized by the South Carolina Arts Commission. She has received merit and best of show awards in a number of juried exhibitions. Over the years, her work has been represented by galleries in Columbia, SC, Atlanta, GA, Winston Salem, NC, Southampton, NY, Washington, DC, San Francisco, CA, and Sante Fe, NM.

Kim Keats

Okatie

Kim Keats' work is represented at: if Art Gallery and Southern Artisty

About the Work:

“The objects that I make are intended to honor or memorialize the origin of the materials from which they are made. I primarily use bark that I harvest from trees. Over time the tree has become an icon in my personal vocabulary of imagery. I rely on the use of basketry interlacing techniques to construct my forms. The bark is manipulated while wet and then sewn or woven together with waxed linen or palmetto root. The surfaces are refined through sanding and finished with oil or stain. I utilize additive techniques to incorporate found natural elements that provide contrast. Objects are also constructed and added to create areas of emphasis, which support the visual concepts. My work reflects the influences of a number of indigenous cultures that have a tradition of using bark as a dominant medium and the tree symbol as an important icon and metaphor for life. Sharing in this celebration of material and imagery has made me feel as though I am part of a universal heritage.”