Vita Kari: Working in Virality 

Vita Kari’s earliest memories include wanting to exist in the world of fine art, with their parents getting them subscriptions to art magazines like Juxtapose.
Vita Kari - My Grandmothers My Grandmother’s American Dream Was A Pink Miami Dream House, Install Shot At Bolsky Gallery
My Grandmothers My Grandmother’s American Dream Was A Pink Miami Dream House, By Vita Kari, Install Shot At Bolsky Gallery. Image Courtesy of Yubo OF Studio.
Image Courtesy of Yubo OF Studio

Interview With Artist Vita Kari

NL: How did you first get into art? Did you study art or are you self-taught?
VK: I was an artist out of the womb. My earliest memories are wanting to exist in the world of fine art–my parents even got me subscriptions to art magazines like Juxtapose, Hifructose etc when I was in middle school.

I just graduated with a MFA in fine art focused on a thesis in Virality.

NL: Where are you located? Is that where you’re from?
VK: I’m from Los Angeles and currently live in West Hollywood!

NL: Does a sense of place influence your art?
VK: Absolutely—the glow of billboards and the electric buzz have always inspired me! And my community and family is everything.

NL: What mediums do you primarily work with? On canvas, paper, sculpture, other?
VK: Working in virality (as an exploring the medium of the Internet and the viral video) as well as textile are my main loves.

NL: You are known for your performance pieces, can you share a little about them?
For example the main concepts and any awareness you’re trying to raise, or if they’re just for arts sake.

I use my performance pieces to highlight different moments in contemporary culture. For example, my last performance, Close the Door, involved audience participation where each button pressed caused me to perform a different act. This mirrored the NPC trend seen on live-streams, highlighting the theme of being compelled to act in a public forum.

The piece also raised awareness about the lack of public restrooms, exploring the tension of being forced to perform private acts in public spaces.In another project, I handed out water cans with an image of myself in distress printed on them, almost like PR swag, while I screamed, trapped in a can right next to the bystanders.

Another notable performance involved “marrying” my digital self. The ceremony culminated in my physical self being carried away by members of the wedding party, following instructions from my digital presence, which was chanting at them.

My performances consistently balance playfulness and humour with a critical examination of social concerns. I aim to mimic something familiar, only to deconstruct it, creating a “glitch” in reality that brings attention to pressing issues.

NL: Can you tell us about your latest series? What is the central story or feeling you’re conveying through this collection?
VK: My latest series looks at the pixel as a way to communicate across generations. Pixels and textiles are made of the same structure, and for me, weaving those connections together felt like a way to bridge my roots with my grandmother and the digital history I grew up in—and have been a part of shaping.

NL: What was the initial inspiration behind this body of work? Was there a specific moment or idea that sparked this series?
VK: Ultimately being a child of the Internet and wanting to connect more to the Jewish (sephardic) diaspora–which I have recently become more connected to– and combining those two things into my textile work was really the catalyst.

NL: Woven cloth and beading play a central part in your work, can you tell us a bit more about that? 
VK: A lot of the images I use are stock photos of rugs you’d find on websites selling mass-produced versions of Moroccan rugs. I wanted to reclaim those images and, in a way, “steal” them back.

My connection to this culture feels distant because of diaspora. It’s tied to these fragments, like deciding whether to keep or give away a rug that has cultural significance. This work is me trying to find my way back.So much of my work uses accessible, recycled, or reused materials. There’s this amazing place in LA that takes materials from film sets and repurposes them for artists, giving them away for free. It’s really inspiring to work with materials that are both meaningful and sustainable.

Vita Kari Portrait With Hamburgers Head dress.
Vita Kari Portrait With Hamburgers Head dress.
Image Credit Michael Tullberg
Vita Kari Portrait Working On Their Art Works
Vita Kari Portrait Working On Their Art Works.
Image Credit Carianne Older
Vita Kari Installation
Vita Kari Installation At Art Basel.
Image Credit Shaniah Borrego-Lopez
Vita Kari In Front Of Her Art Work With A Ladder
Vita Kari In Front Of Her Art Work With A Ladder.
Image Credit Carianne Older
Vita Kari Exhibition Space
Vita Kari Exhibition Space.
Image Credit Carianne Older

NL: Do you prefer to work solo, or are there aspects where collaboration enhances your vision?
Right now, I’m collaborating with Joaquin Stacey Calle on a duo show for late 2025, curated by Leslie Fram. The collaborative process deepens my process x100.

NL: Are there mentors, or collaborators who have helped to shape your creative journey? How have they influenced your approach?
VK: Absolutely–there are SO mentors that have really pushed my practice. A few that instantly come to mind are Asher Hartman, Judie Bamber, Kori Newkirk, Kade Twist, Kathrin Burmester, Meg Cranstron, Lindsay August-Salazar, Lorenzo Hurtado Segovia and many others in the MFA program at Otis College of Art and Design. In addition, Jenna Caravello was the first artist I ever met in person as a child–and I was in awe and blown away.

Attending artist talks, lectures and having the privilege of listening to and learning from other artists shapes so much of my practice. In Grad school, having feedback and structure within my practice absolutely shattered my self-imposed boundaries–and now I’ve gone places I never thought I would.

NL: What obstacles, if any, have you faced in your recent projects, and how have you navigated or overcome them?
VK: Growing with my work has been an interesting shift. Exploring hearing loss in real time within my work has pushed me to put the hyperpersonal on full display.

NL: How do you ensure that the final piece aligns with your original vision, especially when working on such intricate details and opposing themes?
VK: It almost never does. You just gotta roll with it haha.

NL: How do your recent pieces engage with current cultural or social themes?
VK: Queer identity, diaspora, accessibility, to name a few.

NL: What do you hope viewers take away from experiencing your art?
VK: I hope my textiles make others feel seen, nostalgic or for at least a moment, transported. I aim for my performances to

NL: How do you approach developing the aesthetic and tone of your work? Are there specific artistic influences that have shaped your style?
VK: Frutiger Metro/Aero and the tone of 2000’s hyper-tech optimism define the iconography I pull from. A time when the internet felt limitless and full of promise–before data infringement and screen time limitations.

NL: Can people commission artwork from you? If so, what does that process look like?
VK: Not currently, but open to interesting projects especially public projects or large scale.

NL: Where can people view your work? Are there any exhibitions, installations, or online galleries where audiences can experience your art?
VK: Yes! Currently my work is on view in Wuhan, China at Yiwei Gallery until March 2nd, 2025! I’ll be showing at Lilienthal Gallery in Knoxville, TN from January 2025 – March 2025. I’ll also be showing in Zona Maco with Yiwei Gallery in February! Joaquin Stacey Calle and I will have duo show for late 2025, curated by Leslie Fram.

NL: What’s next for you as an artist? Are there any upcoming projects, themes, or directions you’re excited to explore?
VK: I’m exploring the uncanny in a top secret project with Joaquin Stacey-Calle.

NL: Anything else you would like to add?
VK: Thanks so much for your time!

Vita Kari In Front Of Their Art Work
Vita Kari In Front Of Their Art Work.
Image Credit Carianne Older
Vita Kari Portrait Working On Their Tapestries.
Image Credit Carianne Older
Vita Kari In Front Of Their Art Work Reaching Up.
Vita Kari In Front Of Their Art Work.
Image Credit Carianne Older

About Vita Kari

Vita Kari (they/them) is a visual artist from Los Angeles, CA, working across textiles, performance, and video. As a deaf/Hard of Hearing (HOH) artist, Kari explores internet culture, digital diaspora, and public spaces while integrating accessibility into their work.

Kari, who went viral and experienced hearing loss simultaneously, reflects their lived experience through textiles inspired by their grandmother’s rugs. These works deconstruct the pixel, comparing the digital screen to the woven grid, knot by knot.

Their notable works include “Virality as Form: The Craziest Thing About Being Creative,” “Trapped in a Can,” and the upcoming “Close the Door.” Kari has exhibited at Goodmother Gallery, Bolsky Gallery, and Yiwei Gallery LA, as well as internationally at Yiwei Gallery and Shanghai Art21 in China. They will make their art fair debut at Untitled Miami in December 2024.

Kari has been featured in Forbes, Artnet, and Interview Magazine, among others. They have collaborated with brands such as Marc Jacobs, Loewe, Tory Burch, Google, Adobe, Spotify, and more.

They founded VITAWOOD LA, a community art space for queer artists, and earned an MFA from Otis College of Art and Design in 2024. Recent speaking engagements include UCLA and Condé Nast College.

Vita Kari logo
Vita Kari Portrait
Vita Kari Portrait.
Image Credit Jess Starr

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