Throughout the semester, we’re shining a light on the Art Department’s graduating MFA candidates as they present their final thesis exhibitions. These exhibitions are the culmination of years of dedicated study and artistic exploration, showcasing our students’ diverse talents and innovative approaches to art-making.
Kate Flake is an interdisciplinary artist working with photography and printmaking to create sculptures and installations that explore identity, family, and the body. Their MFA thesis exhibition, “When did I stop knowing you?” will be on view April 7–12 in the Front Space Gallery at UW–Madison’s Art Lofts, with a reception on Friday, April 10, from 6–8 p.m.
Flake’s practice centers on fragmenting and reconstructing photographs into sculptural forms that question how identity is shaped over time. Drawing from a family archive of childhood images, their work examines memory, gender, and the experience of growing up in the American South. The exhibition includes a paper installation and a collaborative artist book created with their brother, offering two perspectives on a shared upbringing and evolving relationship.
We asked Flake to share more about their work: