Cogitativity – Cognitive Power or Action by Grace Kisa

Cogitativity – Cognitive Power or Action by Grace Kisa, 2023, resin, metal, sisal fiber, clay, paint, 25 x 14 x 14 inches.

Cognitive power or action. Contemplating a future beyond work. With the rise of Ai, machines and automation the conventional ideas around labor become a thing of the past. In this new landscape, a population free from exploitation imagines new realities to unlock new levels of freedom with an equitable distribution of resources.

Grace Kisa is a Kenyan American artist based in Atlanta, Georgia. A multimedia artist whose primary expression is sculpture, her process is improvisational, combination of creative play and problem solving. The materials that she uses vary from clay, metal, wood, fiber, and resin. with a focus on recycling and repurposing ordinary objects. Her work draws inspiration from the experiences of a childhood spent in Kenya, Ethiopia, Botswana, Virginia, and as a practicing artist Georgia. By taking what is familiar and transforming it, she creates narratives that engage various histories while working through concepts of intersectional identities, examining the processes of migration and cultural exchange beyond borders. Particular attention is given to ideas of comfort, alienation, adaptation and assimilation. Set against how that relates in a globalized world. Grace graduated from the Art Institute in Atlanta, Georgia and has worked as a professional artist for over 20 years exhibiting in Solo and group exhibitions across the United States. Notably, in 2019, she participated in Prizm Art Fair during Art Basel Miami. 2019 commissioned by artist Fahamu Pecou to design and fabricate an Egungun costume for his “Do Or Die” thesis exhibition performance . The costume included in the Carlos Museum’s collection at Emory University 2020 Grace Kisa and Maurice Evans were Artadia finalists for their collaborative project called “Nu Africans” which was exhibited at The Hammonds House Museum. 2020 Grace Kisa and Ellex Swavoni were commissioned by the Atlanta BeltLine to design and fabricate a public art sculpture “All In One” installed on the Eastside Trail in the West End Atlanta, and has been included in their permanent collection. She has been invited by the European Cultural Center in Venice, Italy to exhibit a body of work under the theme Personal Structures at their Palazzo Bembo during their Biennial from April to November 2024. Grace has been published In The New York Times, Forbes, The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, and ArtsAtl, Black Art In America, and Rolling Out.