Kandis Williams

Kandis Williams is an artist, writer, editor, and publisher.[1] Williams has received critical acclaim for her collage art, performance art, and publishing work.[2][3] Williams lives and works in Los Angeles and Berlin.[4] Williams is known for her art exploring racial issues, nationalism, and many other categories.[5]

Kandis Williams
BornPark Heights, Baltimore, U.S.
Alma materCooper Union School of Art
BFA, 2009
OccupationArtist, editor, publisher, writer
Websitewww.cassandrapress.org

Early life

Williams graduated from Cooper Union School of Art.[6]

Artistic practice

Kandis Williams' work often explores contemporary critical theory including, but not limited to, racial-nationalism, authority, and eroticism.[7] In addition to Williams' studio, writing, and publishing practices, Williams is also a visiting faculty member at Cal Arts School of Art.[4]

Solo exhibitions

Her first solo show that runs from November 6, 2020 - August 1, 2021 is called “A Field”.[10][11]

A Field is a live green house surrounded with multiple plants and plant sculptures as well as along the walls of the room. Williams also used wired plants instead of leaves to attach photos from history and use as a backdrop.[11] With that Williams attaches multiple different photos including Mississippi chain gangs, images from Vintage Magazine, and depictions from tango dancers.  In addition to A Field there is a live video with a dancer that was also choreographed by Williams on the former Lorton Reformatory and Virginia State Prison Farm, where prisoners worked as time for their sentence.[12]

  • Eurydice - 219 Madison - Brooklyn, New York - (2018)[13]
  • WOP Works on Paper - Vienna - (2017)[14]
  • Soft Colony - Night Gallery - Los Angeles - (2016)[15]
  • Disfiguring Traditions - SADE - Los Angeles, CA - (2016)[3]
  • Inner States - St. Charles Projects - Baltimore, Maryland - (2016)[16]

Events, performances, workshops

Group exhibitions
  • The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York[20]
  • The Underground Museum, Los Angeles[3]
  • Neu West, Berlin[21]
  • 68 Projects, Berlin[14]
  • The Breeder, Athens[22]

Cassandra Press

Williams co-founded the non-profit Cassandra Press in 2016 with Taylor Doran, and Jordan Nassar. The organization distributes lo-fi activist and academic texts, flyers, posters, pamphlets, and readers as well as offer classes and exhibitions.[23][24]

The name is a reference to the Trojan princess Cassandra, who was said to have accurately foretold the future yet no one would believe her.[24]

Select awards and recognition

References
  1. "Theory and Experience in the Work of Kandis Williams". Artillery Magazine. 3 January 2018.
  2. Smith, Roberta; Schwendener, Martha; Heinrich, Will (2017-07-27). "What to See in New York Art Galleries This Week". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-07-02.
  3. Williams, Maxwell (18 November 2016). "Bearing Wit(h)ness: The Art of Kandis Williams". KCET.
  4. "Kandis Williams". CalArts School of Art.
  5. "Kandis Williams | Hammer Museum". hammer.ucla.edu. Retrieved 2021-04-09.
  6. Smith, Melissa (2019-06-27). "'You Start the Game Tired': What It's Like to Be One of the Few Black Students at an Elite Art School". Artnet News. Retrieved 2021-07-19.
  7. "Kandis Williams - Misogynoir Reader". Printed Matter.
  8. "Kandis Williams: A Line". 52 Walker. Retrieved 2022-05-13.
  9. Kollatz Jr., Harry (2020-12-15). "Art of Growth and Power". Richmond Magazine. Retrieved 2021-02-08.
  10. "Meet Artist Kandis Williams, Whose Poetic Work Has a Sharp, Cerebral, and Radically Political Edge". Artnet News. 2021-03-05. Retrieved 2021-04-09.
  11. "Kandis Williams: A Field". Institute for Contemporary Art. Retrieved 2021-04-09.
  12. Kollatz, Harry Jr. (2020-12-15). "Art of Growth and Power". richmondmagazine.com. Retrieved 2021-04-09.
  13. "Kandis Williams at 219 Madison St. - News - Night Gallery". www.nightgallery.ca. Retrieved 2019-04-11.
  14. "Kandis Williams". WORKS ON PAPER. Retrieved 2019-04-11.
  15. "Kandis Williams: Soft Colony 👀". Curate LA.
  16. "3. INNER STATES". www.stcharlesprojects.com. Retrieved 2019-04-11.
  17. "Fragile".
  18. "PopRally Presents Rachel Kaadzi Ghansah: A Woman's Work | MoMA". The Museum of Modern Art.
  19. "Affect network territory a performance of syllogisms in motion". humanresourcesla.com. Retrieved 2019-04-11.
  20. "Kandis Williams | paralysis II (2014) | Artsy". www.artsy.net.
  21. "Art & Feminism // 5 Berlin Artists Who Happen to Be Feminists". Berlin Art Link. 5 June 2015. Retrieved 2019-04-11.
  22. "NOTEMPLE | THE BREEDER". Retrieved 2019-04-11.
  23. Vankin, Deborah (2021-07-15). "Hammer Museum's $100,000 Mohn Award goes to Kandis Williams". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2021-07-19.
  24. Marine, Brooke (September 2, 2020). "Cassandra Press Redefines the Way Black Critical Theory Is Taught". W Magazine. Retrieved 2021-07-19.


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