I aim to explore the self
and all of its’ vast parts
Kenzi Rayelle (she/her) is an interdisciplinary artist currently residing in Milwaukee, WI. Deeply influenced by the body and psychosocial development theory, Rayelle has developed a distinctive practice focused on processing self-actualization and the impact of trauma. She uses a blend of sculpture and film to navigate the realities of the past and present self, exploring all of its vast parts and finding solace through creation.Rayelle earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Printmaking from The University of Iowa in 2021. Rayelle's work has been featured in numerous galleries across the country, such as Public Space One in Iowa City, IA; Woman Made Gallery in Chicago, IL; and Good Year Arts in Charlotte, NC. In 2023, she received the Mary Nohl Suitcase Grant for her solo-exhibition "Innerconnectivity I". Since relocating to Milwaukee, she has collaborated closely with various arts organizations, including Sculpture Milwaukee, where she served as the head of Design and Marketing for their 2022-24 exhibitions. Notably, contributing to "Nature Doesn’t Know About Us," guest curated by Ugo Rondinone.
She is actively curating "HOUSE", an immersive exhibition that invites viewers to open doors and explore the realities of six Milwaukee-based artists. Set within a fabricated house of constructed rooms, each artist expands their practice with minimal restriction through large-scale installations and performances. "HOUSE" provides a solo-exhibition experience as a catalyst for their careers while inviting the community to engage with art in new and otherworldly ways.Statement
I use my work to navigate the present moment in relation to past trauma, personal and collective, serving as a platform for exploration and inquiry into adult development and self-actualization. I investigate what the body withholds from present consciousness, giving experiences life outside the mind and body, transforming them into subject and object. I explore what it means to confront fear, engage with emotions, and ponder the intricacies of trauma as an individual and as a community.
With a deep fascination for the body as a vehicle of the “self” and our emotions, I incorporate anatomical shapes, viscera, and tumors crafted from textiles, latex, and clay to explore these themes. Creating in congruence with my emotions, vulnerability, and pain, I am particularly drawn to soft materials, which allow these experiences to take on organic forms. Textiles serve as my primary medium within my large-scale installations and connect to my generational trauma through my family’s history of quilting, which served as a lifelong means of connection amidst abuse, neglect, and sorrow. This process also serves as a point of connection with the grief shared by my past and present selves, with the lengthy and intense hand-stitching of each organ giving form to these experiences and bridging mind and body, perceiving the stuck points younger selves endured.
I have found that my process aligns with the ideologies of Robert Kegan, who theorized the challenges of adult development. Through my work, I reflect on self-actualization, exploring how recurring stuck points in key developmental stages can be transformed. My practice turns trauma into form and understanding, making these processes perceptible and accessible to the world around me.
Through my work, I intend for individuals to share in my personal vulnerability, creating a space for others to join in introspection. My practice sparks curiosity and provokes questions about our interactions with trauma and the visceral elements I portray. I seek to explore what it means to confront fear, engage with these emotions, and ponder the intricacies of personal development both as individuals and as a community.