Katie Green
I was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta and graduated from the University of Calgary’s BFA program. My work is multifaceted and takes various forms. I create paintings on paper, I make large-scale mural installations, and I am a mask/puppet fabricator. Much of my work is collaborative, with public participation integral to its creation. By working in public, I hope to alter the physical, emotional, and imagined landscape of a specific community. When people are invited to envision a space or to participate in the transformation of their environment, we ask questions together about how we envision ourselves and each other.
For the past six years, my professional artistic endeavors have focused primarily on murals, executed in Canada, the United States, India, Taiwan, and Germany. My process often includes facilitating community-driven workshops that not only communicate mural painting techniques but also help to develop content. Through this work, I have developed a deeper understanding of how my artistic practice integrates into spaces where there is a shared viewership.
In recent work, I have integrated mask-making into my personal and community practice. I have witnessed how masks have been a conduit for building community and expressing empowerment. A mask invites an opportunity to consider oneself more intimately. Through the creation of a mask both the builder and wearer can ask the questions, “how do I want to be seen?” and “how does my inner self relate to the outside world?” By wearing a mask, there is a momentary anonymity and freedom to become whomever you want to be where the mask creates a safe space – an anonymous space – to communicate with the surrounding world.
I want to continue my work with the mask. I want to take the experiences of working with community to make public mural installations, bringing the practice of relationship-building into a more intimate space. While the public wall has been a tool for connection, I wonder what types of connections can be fostered with a mask? Can this mask-making practice help myself and others access our inner worlds and feel empowered?
