Denise Leanne Kapke
DENNY'S ART N STUFF
CERAMICIST - MULTIMEDIA ARTIST
About Me
DENISE L. KAPKE
Nebraska based Multimedia Artist, concentrated mostly on clay; sculpture-based art and functional ceramic collections. Studying both the grotesque and the functional through experimentation in clay.
I currently hold a Bachelor's of General Studies Degree with an emphasis in Fine Art, from the University of Nebraska at Kearney. I plan to further my education and receive a MFA in Ceramics from an accredited master's program. I wish to further my exploration and truly hone in on my sculptural pieces that explore the torture of humanity, the functional ceramic pieces thrown on a pottery wheel and the glaze chemistry that comes along with both. I acknowledge my dueling passions; I love to both combine them and keep them completely separate. I like to be put outside of my comfort zone, to learn new things, new techniques. I combine unexpected ideas and materials, creating the unexpected entirely ..which shines through my rather weird art.
ARTIST STATEMENT
I often feel the need to preface my art, that “it’s just not for everyone”. That it will make you question humanity, that it will purge painful, embarrassing feelings you probably didn’t know existed. I remind myself that that catharsis only happens on close examination of finite details, on reading the agony of every piece’s statement, on truly experiencing each piece. On the outside, my work can be quite beautiful. It doesn’t need a preface, it’s simply about being human. Feeling human. The torturous emotions come from using the parts of humanity we often find deep pain in, or pass by altogether. Having a body with invisible ailments and being a woman; in turn, having the constant pressure of survival on my back, I know these parts of humanity all too well. My work has a personal story that thousands of others find comfort in; knowing their pain is being told too. The most important life passion is that of basic human rights, that of being heard and seen. An issue many avoid in hopes of maintaining the peace. I strive to disrupt the peace. To tell the stories of the invisible. Encourage widespread destigmatization and change. And in the end, convey the true story of “Humanity at it’s finest”.
I have always struggled with both my physical and mental health, and as both have always greatly affected my life, they directly correlate to my art and the subject matter I choose to focus on.
Muses
I was born with intestinal digestive issues, meaning at times there was little to no function-no digestion, and at other times the digestion process would be so fast that no nutrients had time to be absorbed. This was exacerbated by learning a lifetime of poor eating habits from my impoverished family, causing deep-rooted eating disorders by the time I was five years old. After I turned 13, my eating habits had gotten so bad that I wouldn't eat anything other than cereal, cookies, crackers; carbs, and dinner from my mom (some-most nights). By the time I was 15, I had pretty much completely destroyed the little functionality my digestive system gave itself. This turned into doctor visit after doctor visit, hospital stay after hospital stay; "There isn't anything wrong that is fixable" "There is some deterioration, but nothing is wrong" "There is nothing wrong" "There is nothing wrong" "There is nothing wrong".
Muses II
The doctors prescribed me MiraLAX at one point during a non-digestive episode, along with a multitude of other laxative type products. I became obsessed. The idea that I could eat anything I wanted, that I could binge as much food for hours at a time, and then have it be extruded out of me 'just like that', obsessed. I'd look forward to the weekend where I could eat for hours and then in turn be sick for hours. That lasted for a few months before that stopped working. Pain had seriously set in by this time, I would miss days of school due to excruciating, mind-numbing torture. Hours upon hours curled up over the toilet, ripping my hair out in comfort of a distraction.
Muses III
Muses IV
Muses V
WHERE ART GETS WEIRD
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