Kai Davis
As a Black Queer Woman, much of Kai Davis' work is tied up in her identity. In 2011 Kai began performing poetry and teaching writing workshops, which explored themes of race, gender, and sexuality. For the past four years she has expanded to utilize a combination of poetry, music, visual art, and dance to explore these themes in theatrical productions. Kai performs, co-writes, produces, casts, and directs these showcases, in which marginalized artists come together to communicate through collaboration. Most recently, Kai directed a show in which she and six other artists used photography projections, poetry, dance, and comedy to discuss memory, history, and time. She is currently a Co-host and Artistic Director for The Philly Pigeon Poetry Slam and a Poetry Editor for Apiary Magazine.
Awarded Grants
2020
Residencies
Related grantees
Overview
NextFab x Leeway’s 2020 Art and Technology Artist-in-Residence, Kai Davis (WOO ’20, LTA ’17) will produce a mixed media portrait series and book entitled POULTICE: Mapping Black Remedies. The project will feature the portraits and interviews of Black survivors of sexual assault, paired with found poetry pulled from the interviews. These portraits, poetry, and interviews will combine with textiles, woodwork, and audio to create a visual atlas that documents Black healing maps through large-format prints. Through this project, Kai aims to amplify the voices of Black survivors, document their healing journeys, and provide a map for other Black survivors who are looking to heal.
2017
Leeway Transformation Award (LTA)
Related grantees
Overview
As a Black Queer Woman, much of Kai Davis' work is tied up in her identity. In 2011 Kai began performing poetry and teaching writing workshops, which explored themes of race, gender, and sexuality. For the past four years she has expanded to utilize a combination of poetry, music, visual art, and dance to explore these themes in theatrical productions. Kai performs, co-writes, produces, casts, and directs these showcases, in which marginalized artists come together to communicate through collaboration. Most recently, Kai directed a show in which she and six other artists used photography projections, poetry, dance, and comedy to discuss memory, history, and time. She is currently a Co-host and Artistic Director for The Philly Pigeon Poetry Slam and a Poetry Editor for Apiary Magazine.
