Art & Life with Chakura Kineard

Today we’d like to introduce you to Chakura Kineard.

Chakura, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
My story is a very one common, I was born in Florida but raised in Atlanta… so I call myself a Dirty Peach.

Can you give our readers some background on your art?
My beautiful and filthy City of Atlanta. Her skyline delicately draped with a mix of decaying buildings, imposing modern architecture and the bright lights of corporate sponsorship. Her feet are the cracked pavements, littered with trash. But from my perspective, “trash” is a misnomer–these are gifts from the city, herself–relics and memories placed in my path, with the intention of inspiring me. The metropolitan lifestyle and its discards are prime examples of my creative inspiration. My process, in its pure essence, is collecting and sorting. The process of collecting artifacts, colors, textures, and materials, then sorting them into thoughts, ideas, and emotions. There is an energy given to any item created.

I view the creation of any object as a sacred act and, therefore, its life should be honored. When the consumed object is discarded and then found by me, I like to give it a second life, permanently salvaging it from its fate in a landfill (or the digestive system of an unfortunate fish or bird). Many of the materials used in my works are very personal to me. Clothing from ex-lovers, my household trash, flyers and business cards from events I’ve attended are all documents of my spirit and experiences. And at times, the items I use have no direct connection to my life, but tell a story of what happened before I arrived: car pieces from traffic accidents, losing lotto tickets, a mangled umbrella. I gather these materials while journeying around town. I’m always hoping to connect with people during my journeys, just as much as I appreciate going inward and connecting with myself and the materials that cross my path.

What would you recommend to an artist new to the city, or to art, in terms of meeting and connecting with other artists and creatives?
Go to all the art shows and support other artists.

Contact Info:

• Website: unfilteredglitter.com
• Email: kchakura@gmail.com
• Instagram: unfilteredglitter

Image Credit:
Alabaas Fraser

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