Katherine Eaglin
she/her
Katherine Eaglin is a Richmond, Virginia-based artist and craftswoman. She is pursuing an undergraduate degree in Craft and Material Studies at VCU, specializing in metals and ceramics. Her creative journey has been displayed at the Dransfeild Gallery (2023), Hawthorne Gallery (2022), The SIRSA student exhibition (2023), and Taking Up Space (2023).
Katherine focuses on the physical and nonphysical traits/meanings of material, using metal, ceramics, plastic, found materials, and even sound to create objects that voice her thoughts. Being an interracial artist (of African American and European descent), she is most interested in expressing her thoughts and qualms with racial and economic issues, focusing on not pushing her own narrative but bringing awareness to and uplifting the black community. She also incorporates themes of identity and self-image into her work, giving herself an outlet to work through her inner turmoil.
“The world around us is made purely of geometric shapes. They are so complex their image becomes obstructed and their beauty is lost. With my work, I’ve sought to bring attention back to these geometric forms by pairing them with the body and mind, and ultimately combine them with the themes of futurism and my passions for creating work. I use this aspect to push my ideas further, experimenting with technology such as CNC and laser cutting. Even so, I find value in hand skills, still furthering my thoughts by pushing the limits of materials to create ambitious, complex forms without the use of automation.”
"Makeup is something we use to enhance their features, glimmering and glittering with something new. Growing up, makeup helped me find love for my features. It was my safe space. The experimentation of shadows and glitters gave a way to highlight what I loved most about myself. I learned to follow the natural contours of my face, enjoying the way I could enhance my features, and I became comfortable in my own skin. Using makeup was an act of self-love and self-care as I made time to reinvent myself.
With this project, I sought to recreate this safe space for others who have struggled to love themselves within American society, bringing in P. O. C. makeup in enjoyers to create a piece that fits only them. Inspired by the wearer’s (Lesar) typical makeup routine, I replaced the glitters of highlighter with jewels and the pigments of contour with sharp lines of metal. I explicitly wanted to create something that highlights and magnifies what Lesar loves about her features, using this vessel to show the world that she loves who she is."
How does your work relate to the theme Adorned Serenity— How does the work function as a wearable safe space?
KatherineEaglin_LesarPrideInVanity: photography, 5x7, 2023
“I see this piece as part of an ongoing series. Each piece is meant to cater to only one wearer, acting as vessel that allows them to freely express themselves. Each piece has a light, comfortable fix that allows them to be worn throughout the day.”
How do you see this piece existing in the world as a wearable safe space?
Or is this piece specific to you?
"Apply lash glue to surface and press to face.
Allow yourself to feel confident and empowered with your heighten features. "
If someone found this piece and needed an instruction manual to make the safe space work — what’s a quick how to?
“This piece was made to perfectly fit Lesar’s face, so the process required the careful filing to fit and scoring bending of wire. It was extremely important that piece rested over Lesar face with ease, so I made a clay replica of her face to keep reference to when working.”