Join ceramic artist Kevin Kao for a casual conversation on art, form, creation, and identity as he discusses his solo exhibition Shape, Shape, Serve on view at Artspace from April 4-June 1.
More about Artspace
Artspace is a non-profit visual arts center located in Downtown Raleigh. Visit Artspace to explore exhibitions featuring national and community artists, engage with more than 35 artists working in their studios, and enjoy art classes and community events for all ages and abilities. To learn more about Artspace, visit artspacenc.org
Artist Statement
Shape, Shape, Serve consists of two works by artist, Kevin Kao, who assembles groups of ceramic sculptures into large installations that explore systems of comprehension, theatre, and the collection. These themes act as metaphors for the Asian American experience, particularly the process of assimilation, drawing from the artists’ experience growing up as a third-culture kid – caught between multiple cultural influences and identities.
Both artworks in the exhibition – Serving Coasters and Buns – incorporate over 50 individual ceramic objects, each crafted to reference bodily forms of hair, limb, flesh, crevice, and bone. These fragments are shaped, assembled, and recombined to reveal playful suggestions that reconsider utility, an inherent quality associated with ceramics.
At the core of the exhibition are the multiple interpretations of serving. This concept is explored through many iterations: functionally as a drink coaster, generosity in providing a look, portion for consumption, fulfillment of a purpose, or an act of submission. These “serving” objects, ask viewers to consider the roles of the body-object in presenting and navigating large social and cultural systems.
Parking and Accessibility
Free street parking is available on Davie Street. Metered parking is available on adjacent streets. There are also several pay lots/decks nearby: City Market parking lot, Blount Street parking deck, and several Secure P lots for night + weekend parking (314 E Davie St, 415 S Person St, 417 S Person St).
Explore accessibility information with our Know Before You Go Guide.
