Inspired by the work of Tina M. Kampt and Christina Sharpe, Kimberly’s practice explores one ontological contemplation - How can we make seeable the frequencies of Blackness while maintaining an opacity that is essential to its continued survival?

Referencing a private collection of photographs and ephemera gifted to her in 2020, Kimberly wields a monochromatic palette of drawing and painting materials to render iridescent semblances of their photographic referents onto canvas.

Understanding the canonical history of images and their power to communicate and perpetuate complex ideas of identity, Kimberly’s practice insists on a different set of conditions for the viewing experience. Her material exploration examines the subtle variances of opacity, texture, and specular reflection as an analog to more interior contemplations. Each material absorbs and reflects varying frequencies of light, charging viewers to reorient their physical relationship to the painted object and renegotiate the conventional choreography that comprises much of the viewing experience in painting. 



Kimberly R. Heard is a research-based visual artist. Her work looks intimately into her ancestry, tacit and embodied knowledge of land and nature, and multiple relocations in San Diego, CA, and various regions within the state of Alabama. She enjoys home-cooked meals, making zines, and caring for her houseplants. Kimberly is pursuing her MFA in Painting at the Yale School of Art in New Haven, CT, with an expectancy of completion in 2026. 

Email:
khrdstudio@gmail.com