Kagen Dunn graduated from the University of Texas Arlington with a Bachelor of Fine Art in December of 2018. While attending UTA, Kagen concentrated in Glass where she would combine traditionally engendered crafts to create uncertainty that challenges the perceived expectations of how a process or materials should operate. Designed to refocus viewers' attention on the texture of their lives, the work created is meticulous and reverent. Kagen's work preserves the ephemera that disappears with each passing day by reusing materials that have been discarded or thrown away when their utility is spent. Her practice captures the traces of use and records our interactions with objects to visualize the remnants of the touch. Most recently, she has been furthering her investigation of the structures around us. The work invites attention to the abandoned elements of our everyday lives and our inhabited environments. Through acts of collecting, using text as material, and the creation of fixed environments, Kagen invites the viewer to observe subdued details within the space.
Kagen has exhibited her work in juried art shows nationally. The most notable exhibitions include PIVOT (Imagine Museum, St. Petersburg, FL), Bridging the Gap: Contemporary Craft Practices (Sandra J. Blain Gallery, Gatlinburg, TN), and the 6th Annual Regional Juried Exhibition (Artspace III, Fort Worth, TX). Most recently, she was selected to participate in Essence (Envision Arts) and was awarded Best in Show. Kagen has also been honored to have received scholarships to attend workshop intensives at Pilchuck Glass School, UrbanGlass, Penland School of Craft and Pittsburgh Glass Center. Currently, Kagen is pursuing a Master’s in fine art at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.