Kenneth Randle
Void Spaces
October 25 – January 5, 2025
Hours: Daily from 8-4pm
“Void Spaces” is part of our 2024-2025 season of juried exhibitions.
A journey. A maze. An interpretation of creation. My work of art normalizes the black aesthetic and how one can engage with it. I have turned my gaze to how I’m applying the black component in void spaces, while in investigation my artwork is questioning how something and someone can be invisible in a world where there’s no such thing as invisibility. No one said the void was a bad thing, one has to embrace the void because it does exist. Throughout art history, the color black hasn’t been shown in the light of the Art institution. Because the images I create are so black they act as a void in those same institutions. Although my paintings are created by someone whose existence isn’t always acknowledged, those same paintings act as a beckon of light to show the viewer, all of the beautiful subtleties of the black experience.
ARTIST STATEMENT
In a world where people often see only in black and white, I have always used light, color, and shape as a form of representation to express my ideas. By studying painters through a diverse lens, I’ve focused my intention on how I use light and how I choose to implement it in my everyday practices from both a historical and metaphorical standpoint. In creating through my personal experience, drawing from the darkness of existence would be easy for those who look like me. However, I’ve let my renderings embrace and depict that sense of urgency by using my paintings as beacons of light. My ideals serve as a window, allowing my paintings to speak about the African American historical narrative and the Black aesthetic. Light is so important in my work because it gives visibility to an otherwise invisible subject matter. When I think about how my ideals are formed, my mind immediately starts to conjure ways to bring light into a situation, not only to move the piece forward but to challenge my last piece to evolve.
– Kenneth Randle
ARTIST BIO
Kenneth Donnell Randle was born in St. Louis, Missouri. Early in his journey, he discovered his remarkable gift and talent for creating art. Kenneth began creating at the age of 6, attending Visual & Performing Arts schools from elementary through high school, where he participated in a student art show at the St. Louis Art Museum in 2011. After graduating from Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University (AAMU) in 2018, Kenneth stood out at the top of his class. He joined the AAMU Art Club in 2014 and participated in the club’s group exhibitions in 2014 and 2015. In 2015, Kenneth received an apprenticeship at Artifacts Tattoo Gallery, where he spent his undergraduate years tattooing and developing his drawing skills. During a break from tattooing, he completed a two-month graphic design internship with Mission Multiplier in 2016. In 2017, Kenneth was part of the 1st Annual Juried Student Show, where he received a 1st Place Certificate for Best of Show and a small stipend to fund his artistic practices.
After graduating from AAMU, he spent two years as a professional graphic designer. In 2019, he worked as the Gallery Coordinator for Arts Huntsville in Huntsville, AL, where he curated multiple in-house shows for local artists. In 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Kenneth Randle moved back to St. Louis, MO, where he participated in a group exhibition with the Kranzberg Art Foundation. In 2022, Kenneth was offered a job as a communications designer at Affinia Healthcare, where he spent time assisting underserved communities in the city of St. Louis. In 2023, Kenneth Randle received a scholarship to attend the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, where he is completing a low-res MFA.
