Master of Fine Arts in Visual Arts

Date

6-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Fine Arts in Visual Arts

Department

Visual and Performing Arts

Chief Instructor

Deb Todd Wheeler

Second Reader

Alex Jackson

Third Reader

n/a

Keywords

collage, interdisciplinary, art, visual art, feminist art, social practice

Abstract

Using a candy-coated, flower-ridden, bright palette and maximalist sense of composition, my artwork builds community through narrative collage, photography, painting, sculpture, poetry, and social practice. Through a feminist lens, these bright works explore body image, gender roles, and social issues. Obsessively collecting and repurposing an archive of vintage imagery, my work draws parallels between traditional and contemporary topics through the language of collage and redaction.  My nascent social practice has led me to engage with narratives outside my own experience and offer my process as a healing modality to other women.

In a tumultuous political climate where art can serve as an act of resistance, my work is driven by upending narratives while feeding on typically overlooked lived experiences. These visual narratives often explore the silent suffering of women with invisible illnesses, traumatic experiences, or unprocessed emotion, using the language of collage to invite contradiction and a confusion of tired story structures. My social practice steps outside my own experience, casting a wider net of visual narrative through engaging with others’ stories. I photograph and interview women from my community, then invite them to create blackout poetry, redacting anything they don’t want to share, and exposing what matters most. This work honors the space between what is spoken versus withheld, between vulnerability and confidence. Zines and sculptural forms accompany the collages, revealing intimate details in written form. Through this collaborative process, silent suffering is transformed into jubilant form, and the obsessive impulse to create is at the forefront.

Comments

Kailey Atkinson is an interdisciplinary artist and educator who combines a range of materials and social practice in her work.

Download

Share

COinS