Sydney Kay ('21 Photography)

I am a multimedia artist primarily working in photography and printmaking. Artists like Lorna Simpson showed me the power of photography. Photography is my primary medium because I am interested in exploring the misconception that photography documents reality. Photography only captures reality through the lens and bias of both the photographer and viewer. I make work that talks about that bias, not to shame the viewer for having bias, but for them to learn from it and push past their bias. Printmaking allows me to push that idea more and mass produce pieces. It allows me to play with different textures like flocking to emphasize themes. Overall, printmaking acts as the telephone to my photography messaging.

I received my Bachelor of Fine Art in Photography from the Cleveland Institute of Art in 2021 and I currently work in creative production. I have won numerous awards including residencies at Visual Arts Center of Richmond and Zygote Press. I was also awarded with a Denbo Fellowship, Bivens Fellowship, and a Red Bull micro-grant. I am always interested in new ideas and processes or what I would call “learning to fold the blanket in a different way”. My goal is to create work that communicates my stories and to share the stories of those who are often under-represented.