Kira Phoenix K'inan

Kira Phoenix K'inan

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Degree: Glass and Ceramics
University: Royal College of Art
Graduation Year: 2015

New Blood Art Commentary

You might find yourself wondering what kind of insect wove such divinely intricate webs. However, these splendidly spun creations fell from the fingertips of Kira Phoenix K’inan - a young London-based artist. K’inan graduated from The Royal college of Art with a degree in Glass and Ceramics. 

Inspired by painters such as Kurt Schwitters and Umberto Boccioni, she has developed her own unique style of low relief drawing that treads the line between sculpture and sketch. By carving directly into plaster sheets, K’inan has the rare ability to cast her artwork using very fine ground glass – rendering work that is, essentially, painting with glass.

Artist Statement

My work brings together fine art and craft through works on paper, inimitable glass sculptures, ephemeral installations and multi-exposure photography, which are sustainably and ethically produced in my London studio. Today my collections are known for their rich colour palette, dynamic lines that intertwist into one another and works that are in constant visual flux.

My love of art and creating began at an early age. I grew up in a vibrant community of artists on Lamma Island and would spend my weekends exploring the island where I developed a close connection to nature. Living on Lamma Island also allowed me to fully explore my own imagination, which came across in the stories I would tell and works I would create. The joy of story telling has developed through into the artwork I make, with each artwork series/project acting like a stories narrative with a beginning, middle and end. 

In 2012 I took a once in a life time trip where I travelled on my own to Hong Kong, Bali, Singapore and Thailand. During this time I created a series of watercolour works on paper that explored colour washes and the strength of the line. Upon returning to the UK I applied to the Ceramics and Glass course at The Royal College of Art. During the masters course I developed a technique of translating my two-dimensional works on paper into three-dimensional glass sculptures known as the Relief Glass Drawing technique. This labour intensive, hands on process allowed me to experiment with surface textures by carving into plaster batts and combining different glass colours for a vivid outcome that responds to the natural light by creating shadows that dance on the walls or shift their tone depending on the type of light they sit in. Since 2020 I have been devaluing into colour explorations and colour mixing through the Glass Ishihara series and the colourful layers of the box framed Constructure series. Recently I have been combining sculpture with glass through the Superposition series and the delicate Palmately Netted Vein series. 

My collections have grown organically through my studies and two residencies, one at Konstfack, Stockholm, Sweden and the other at Edinburgh College of Art, Scotland. I now design and create in my London based studio. I sell globally to a dedicated clientele spanning the UK, Scandinavia and USA. Each artwork now sits in loving homes or in commercial settings.  I continue to exhibit globally with particular highlights being Bullseye glass competition Emerge Bullseye 2018, shortlisted for the Ashurst Emerging Artists Prize in 2019, a finalist for The Visual Arts Open 2020, London Craft Week 2022 and Decorex International 2022.

Solo Exhibitions

(2019) Intertwist, The Hellenic Centre, London

(2017) Intertwined, Haunt, Dalston, London

(2017) Intervolve, Galleri Glas, Stockholm, Sweden

(2011) KPKart Gallery and Open Studio, 821, Fulham Road, London

Group Exhibitions

(2020) Elevate 02, The Shard, London

(2020) Top Drawer, Olympia, London, Top Drawer, Olympia, London

(2019) Counter/Balance, Trinity Art Gallery, London

(2019) Continuum, The Folded Space, South-End on Sea

(2019) Way of Seeing, Depford Does Art, London

(2019) Wanderlust, The Ollerod, Beaminster Devon

(2019) Ashurst Emerging Art Prize, Ashurst, London

(2019) From ArtCan With Love, The Fiztrovia Gallery, London

(2019) Inspired, London Glass Blowing, London

(2019) 44 ART WORKS, 44 Hallam Street, London

(2019) Fusion IV, International Contemporary Art Show, London

(2019) HES, Hellenic Engineers Society, London

(2019) New Horizons, The Lumen Crypt Gallery, London

(2019) Elevate 02, The Shard, The Shard, London

(2018) Winter Open Exhibition, North Lands Creative, Lybster, Scotland

(2018) It’s Art Call 2018, After Nyne Gallery, London

(2018) Glasshaus XIII, Parndon Mill, Harlow, Essex

(2018) Materiality, Tent Gallery, Edinburgh, Scotland

(2018) EMERGE 2018, Bullseye Galleries, Portland, Oregon, USA

(2018) COMPENDIUM, Tent Gallery, Edinburgh, Scotland

(2018) Open 2018, The National Scottish Galleries, Edinburgh, Scotland

(2017) Winter Open Exhibition, North Lands Creative, Lybster, Scotland

(2017) In Relationship, Contemporary Glass Society, London

(2017) Destruction/Construction, Contemporary Glass Society, London

(2017) The White Show, Flow Gallery and Clothworthy House & Antrim Castle Gardens, N. Ireland

(2016) Flight, Contemporary Glass Society, London

(2016) Something Yellow, Contemporary Glass Society, London

(2015) The White Show, Flow Gallery, London

(2015) Glasshaus XIII, Parndon Mill, Harlow, Essex

(2015) Printed Possibilities, Contemporary Glass Society, London

(2015) The Lie of the Land, North Lands Creative Glass, Lybster, Scotland

(2015) Ceramics and Glass Final Show, Woo Gallery, The Royal College of Art, London

(2015) Tin Project, Henry Moore Gallery, The Royal College of Art, London

(2015) In Support of Eating, Sketch Restaurant, London

(2015) Untitled, Henry Moore Gallery, The Royal College of Art, London

(2015) Work In Progress 2015, Henry Moore Gallery, The Royal College of Art, London

(2014) V&A Project, Henry Moore Gallery, The Royal College of Art, London

(2014) Work In Progress 2014, Henry Moore Gallery, The Royal College of Art, London

(2010) TIPTOE INTO INFINITY, Leonard Street, London

(2010) Elysian Project III, Elysian Project III, Islington, London

(2010) THIRST : Water is Art : Art is Water, Brick Lane, London

(2010) Central St Martins Degree Show, CSM, London

(2010) The Mango Lab, Kite Studios, London

(2009) Something New, Automatic Collective, 1535 N Ashland, Chicago

(2009) FICTIONNONFICTION, Innovation Centre Gallery, Southampton Row, London

(2009) FICTIONNONFICTION, Cochrane Theatre, Southampton Row, London

(2009) HOGWASH!, The Foundry, Great Eastern St, London

(2009) Day Lights Saving Time, Plain Janes, The Foundry, London

(2009) POPPYCOCK!, Artists In Motion, 93 Feet East, London

(2008) Fabrication, 93 Feet East, London

(2008) 20x20x20x20, Central St. Martins, London

(2008) How to make an Origami Paper Boat’, Trinity Buoy Wharf, London

(2008) Pendulum Intervention within a Lighthouse, Trinity Buoy Wharf, London

(2008) Amend NCP, NCP Car Park, London

(2007) You’ve Got No Idea What We’re Doing This Summer, Hats Plus, London

(2007) Innovations, Back Hill, London

Competitions, Prizes & Awards

(2006) Chris Campbell Memorial Prize

(2015) Konstfack Exchange Prize

(2018) Hothouse 2019, Short-Listed

(2019) Visual Art Open, Short-Listed

(2019) Creekside Open, Short-Listed

(2019) Ashurst Emerging Art Prize, Short-Listed

Original works:

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