Kristen Canda

Artist Biography

Kristen Canda received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Ohio Wesleyan University in 2017 and is expected to receive her Master of Fine Arts in Painting from Wayne State University in 2021. Canda's work emphasizes the shape and color relationships she observes in her daily life. By depicting her intimate surroundings, she reflects on the actions, items, places, and people that have shaped her personal identity. Her work was selected by Michigan's 2019 Arts in the Legislature where it was displayed in the state capital. Canda's paintings were also included in Emergence-19, a juried group exhibition highlighting the work of emerging MFA Candidates throughout the state of Michigan, curated by Eastern Michigan University. She was awarded a Graduate Teaching Assistantship at Wayne State University from 2018-2020 and received the Graduate Professional Scholarship during the 2020-2021 academic year. She also presented her work at Wayne State University’s 2021 Graduate Research Symposium.  

Artist Statement

My artistic practice evolves from my day-to-day activities and depicts literal reflections of my life, my intimate surroundings, and my place within them. I consider how my own actions shape my environment and the subsequent effects that this created environment has on me. I am interested in how these behaviors follow within a tradition of others that came before me. Through traditional drawing and painting practices, I reflect on the actions, items, places, and people that have shaped my personal identity. I work to see and describe essential tonal, formal, and color relationships that fit together to construct these familiar settings.  

This series of work depicts myself and my surroundings within the reflections I encounter while doing various household tasks. Layers of oil paint decipher and define the various shapes of color within my mirrored surroundings. Stainless steel appliances and decorations within my home display distorted renditions of my actions. By intently looking into these surfaces and visually describing what I see, I attempt to find a deeper understanding of my environment and place within it. Through these paintings, I define myself based on what I find within this mirrored image.