ABOUT

Emma Ming Kayhart was born in China and grew up in Atlanta with her artist parents. She inherited a microscope, Gray’s Anatomy, and a box of glass slides from her pathologist grandfather. Having those objects in her studio, plus taking classes in anatomy and forensics (which included witnessing an autopsy), influenced her perspective on the use of materials. Her “body” work is not rendered in the traditional sense of drawing/painting the figure, but has everything to do with breaking, mending, bleeding, and healing.

Her fascination with layers (skin, surgical references, windows) has surfaced in her hand-cut papers, screen prints, organic hand-produced pulp papers, and in her broken glass pieces. The cyclical use of intuition, repetition, destruction, reconfiguration, and leaving debris behind to be considered later is evident throughout her work. She sees herself as a maker of things, not restricted to a particular medium.

Kayhart has shown her work at Morgan Art of Papermaking Conservatory, Cleveland; Swan Coach House, Atlanta; Dalton Gallery at Agnes Scott College; Callanwolde Fine Arts Center, Atlanta; A.I.R. Gallery, Brooklyn; Anderson Ranch, Colorado; Jack Sinclair Gallery at ArtsXchange, Atlanta; MINT Gallery, Atlanta; and Decatur Arts Festival.

Kayhart graduated with a BFA from Massachusetts College of Art and Design in Boston. She has also studied at Ox-Bow in Michigan, Penland School of Crafts in NC, and UGA Studies Abroad Program in Italy.  She works in a medical practice, which brings new contexts for her art making.