Exhibitions

KEVIN KAO: CARYATID XL II

Neue Welt / 507 Hagan St September 7th

Kevin Kao

Neue Welt is pleased to present Caryatid XL II by Greenville, SC-based artist Kevin Kao.

This work will be on view in the courtyard of the Packing Plant on September 7th 5-9 PM during the Wedgewood Houston Art Crawl. Beginning September 8th, the piece will be installed in the gallery’s offsite location in rural Williamson County, where it will be on view by appointment through the end of 2024.

This work is part of a series, Caryatids, which started as an exploration of the hair forms on seemingly gender-less faces. Like the Ancient Greek Caryatid porch adorning the Erechtheion on the Acropolis, the work positions the figure as a conjecture of structure and space. In this iteration, the figure beckons as pillar and vessel, supporting and holding inferences of the monumental. Similar to the other work Kao creates, the ideal is replaced with an alternative – an Other.

Born and raised in California, Kevin Kao is a sculptor exploring themes of self, humor, and narrative through the figure. His work has been shown and featured in Atlanta Contemporary, Atlanta, GA; Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, CA; Kranzberg Art Foundation, St. Louis, MO; and The Washington Post. He earned a B.S. in Biology - Ecology, Evolution, and Animal Behavior from the University of California, San Diego; and an M.F.A. in Studio Art - Ceramics, from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Kao currently lives and works in Greenville, SC, and serves as an Associate Professor of Art at Furman University.

For inquiries or to schedule an appointment to view this work, please write info@neuewelt.xyz.