BIO
Kyle Alden Martens is an interdisciplinary artist based in Montréal, Canada. He graduated from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design University in 2015 with a BFA in Intermedia. He is a recent MFA graduate in sculpture at Concordia University where he was supported by the Dale and Nick Tedeschi Arts Fellowship, the Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship (SSHRC), and the Fonds de Recherche du Québec - Société et culture (FRQSC). He has exhibited solo exhibitions with Circa Art Actuel in Montréal, AXENEO7 in Gatineau, the Khyber Centre for the Arts in Halifax as well as his exhibition PORTABLE CLOSETS, which was shown nationally at Stride Gallery, Centre Clark, and Eastern Edge Gallery. Martens has also presented work with Bradley Ertaskiran, Leonard & Bina Ellen Art Gallery, Pop Montreal, Eyelevel Gallery, Mayten’s Projects, and the Centre for Art Tapes among others.
ARTIST STATEMENT
Clothing serves as an allusion, throughout my practice, to fitting and fitting in. In some cases, objects nest perfectly into places designed with care and attention to accommodate them. In others, fitting is more theoretical, calling into question how queer bodies take up space. Throughout my practice sculptures of ropes, ladders, purses, clothing, accessories, and footwear situate the work where bodies and their analogues reside, such as dollhouses, gymnasiums, and closets. Whispers of touch and tension are hinted at in referential forms like gloves, marbles, and knots. Each series presents a cohort of friendly and fetishized objects, installations, performances, and videos—cute yet unruly, softly rebellious.
k.aldenmartens@gmail.com