Nik Kienitz
they/them
Salt Lake City, UT, USA
I was born in Germany but raised in the mountains of Utah for the majority of my life. With this background I loved to learn about and explore different cultures and traditions. A lot of my inspiration comes from learning about these places and their styles of art, nature is my other big inspiration, being from the Wasatch mountains it’s hard not to be inspired by the beauty of nature. I have always done some form of art, as far back as I can remember. It started at a very young age with drawing, painting and sculpture then moved into textile art, performance art, fashion and design and currently, my true love, jewelry.
“I strive to create jewelry that is a unique piece of art. Something that someone can treasure for a lifetime. I hope that each piece is as special as life itself and acts as a reminder to appreciate all that is here with us and all things we have created to bring beauty to the world.”
How does your work relate to the theme connection?
“I made this piece as a connection to queer history. Growing up in a small conservative town in Utah there was a heavy religious influence. Anything queer or not sticking with the gender binary was not well taken. It was very isolating growing up. As I got older I started to learn more about the queer/Trans influence through history. How we have been gods, warriors, healers, teachers and inventors. In those moments I felt like I belonged here too. That we are not some new age problem. We have always been here and will continue to be here. I wanted to capture one of these stories in a visual piece to Hopefully spread awareness that we have a place in history. So I decided to create Hermaphroditus, the dual gendered god that was hidden in history. A connection to our past."
What role does connection play in your creative process?
“I do think the best pieces always give us some kind of connection, Connection to a memory, Connection to an interest, connection to learning. So I try to put that into my work by having clear and refined ideas so people are free to connect with a piece the moment they see it. A piece that is interesting and different so they can build a story with it instead of seeing the same old uninspiring thing."
What connection(s) does your queerness make to the world around you?
“The connections my queerness makes would definitely be through community. I have been ‘out of the closet’ since I was 15, currently 35 and a notable ‘oddball’ but my determination to be myself and soft hearted has always made people very comfortable coming to me with questions or just coming out to someone for the first time. A lot of the time it’s the same story, ‘seeing someone be themselves gave me the strength to do it too’ and that is such a beautiful thing to hear. It is always an honor to be there for someone and see them be the person they want to be. Through my queerness I have learned that being out and proud helps you connect with your people and through that connection your community grows. I have had the privilege of making connections with many wonderful people this way, that I wouldn’t trade for the world and get to see them live their truth."
"Pieces of a forgotten past. Hermaphroditus", sterling silver, glass. 5.5” x 1.75”, 2024Anything else you would like to share about this work? This can be an important part of the process, sourcing materials, or research.
“I sculpted the goddess in the piece originally from clay, took a mold and cast it in glass. I used white glass chunks coated in black glass paint. I then fired it in the kiln until it fused. I removed the top layer of glass to reveal the crack pattern. I wanted the cracked statue to symbolize, the passage of time and forgotten knowledge.
The silver toga is lost wax casting. The casting is soldered to a back plate. It was soldered on at a slight angle so the figure could be slipped under and set into the prongs. After she was in, the toga was pushed down and laser welded on the back to seal her in the setting. The halo is made from silver sheet and wire that was line stamped."