“I cant remember a time when I wasn’t drawing, painting or fabricating something out of something else” says artist Kate Cummins of her work. “I come from a creative household where the arts had a natural hierarchy”. After completing an Honors Bachelor’s of Fine Art degree from the University of Western Ontario, Kate travelled extensively and now lives with her family in St. Petersburg, Florida. Kate works in the film industry and has a busy studio practice where her focus has been creating work that responds to social issues. She says of her artistic career, “I am grateful to have a creative and challenging work life and look forward to concentrating exclusively on my artwork”.
The need to connect with others is the purpose and motivation for my art making. In my large scale abstract paintings I call attention to recurrent symbols: icons, motifs and totems. This personal iconography has become my language. Through it I am able to process and communicate perspectives regarding the effects of important societal influences, primarily; climate crisis, social conflict, and women’s rights. I rely on form and color to distill an internal commentary I cannot put into words. I see the work conveying my sense of optimism and confidence on a vibrant, color filled surface yet there’s an insinuated disorder and disguised unease. I am whisper-yelling “do you feel that everything’s ok-not really?” The artwork is reciprocal, a gateway in which I strive for a connection with others, I’m reaching an outstretched hand through painting and trying to say I want to make things better.
