Kennedy Yanko

A unique artistic practice at the crossroads of sculpture and painting

Originally from Saint Louis in the United States, Kennedy Yanko has developed a practice at the crossroads of painting, sculpture and installation. Drawing on the traditions of Abstract Expressionism, Action Painting and Colour Field painting, she transforms recycled materials – primarily metal – into sculptural structures which she coats with acrylic paint. Her works thus combine the solidity of steel with the fluidity of colour, striking a constant balance between strength and fragility.

A fresh perspective on the gallery of casts 

On display in the Cité’s gallery of casts, Kennedy Yanko’s works engage in a dialogue with the masterpieces of French monumental sculpture. Positioned opposite the portals and sculpted figures, they extend the interplay of folds, volumes and materials, whilst revealing the undersides of architectural structures that are usually hidden from view. Their hybrid forms evoke the world of David Cronenberg. Without breaking with the collections, they offer a contemporary interpretation in which architecture and sculpture, memory and creation, past and present resonate with one another.

Organic forms in a state of constant metamorphosis

At the heart of his work lies the memory of materials. Metal, sourced from industrial scrap, retains traces of its past uses (bends, impacts, oxidation), whilst the thick, supple layers of paint evoke, in turn, fabric, skin or drapery. Balancing weight and movement, control and spontaneity, her sculptures give rise to organic forms in which the material appears to be in a state of perpetual metamorphosis.