Kelly Akashi: Encounters

Lower Level Galleries: September 30, 2023 — May 05, 2024

Known for sculptures and installations that emphasize the reciprocity of touch, Kelly Akashi’s (b. 1983, Los Angeles) practice centers on the tactile properties of physical materials. At the Henry, the artist will present a new body of work that continues her interest in transforming the ways in which materials are used and perceived.

Originally trained in photography, Akashi brings that medium’s concern with questions of time and truth to her sculptural work across a diverse array of media, including wax, bronze, fire, glass, silicone, and rope. Often pairing delicate hand-blown glass or hand-made wax candles with bronze casts of her own hands, the artist captures momentary gestures, casting them into perpetual existence. Akashi’s explorations in the mapping of time have led her to study fossils from extinct species in order to locate humankind amongst other consciousness that have thrived along the earth’s geological timeline. Drawing attention to the fluidity and interconnectedness of her chosen media, Akashi aims to capture the tension created by using materials in ways that work against their typical definitions—glass that reacts like a soft pillow, dirt that functions like stone, wax that substitutes for permanence.

The Henry is proud to partner in this multi-site exploration of Akashi’s work with the Frye Art Museum, where the artist’s first survey, Formations, will be on view preceding this commissioned project.