Kori Newkirk
Kori Newkirk is an American visual artist who creates sculptures, installations, video and photography to address themes such as personal and cultural identity and the dynamics of the urban environment. He is known for installations that utilize synthetic hair, which create curtain-like forms that explore both the physicality of urban spaces and elements of African-American culture.
Early life and education
Newkirk was born in the Bronx. He grew up in New York City and rural upstate New York.He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and an MFA from the UC Irvine.
Career
Newkirk is known for his use of unconventional materials, such as plastic pony beads, human hair, and aluminum. He came to the attention of the New York art world with a lifesize silhouette of a police surveillance helicopter, painted in hair pomade, that was exhibited as part of the 2001 group show, Freestyle, at the Studio Museum in Harlem.His first solo museum show, a 10-year survey of his work, was held at the Studio Museum in 2007. Solo shows later took place at the Roberts & Tilton Gallery; Museum of California Art, Orange County Museum of Art. Museum of Contemporary Art in San Diego; the Museum of Contemporary Art in Cleveland; the Art Gallery of Ontario, LAXART, the Fabric Museum and Workshop, Locust Projects and Deep River and in group shows at the Whitney Biennial, the Dakar Biennial, the Serpentine, the MCA Chicago, the Hammer Museum, and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles.