Kathie Olivas is an internationally exhibited multi-media artist from New Mexico. Through her current body of work, the Misery Children, she explores societyâs insatiable desire to assign âcutenessâ and our discomfort with the unknown. A dark blend of early American portraiture set in post apocalyptic times, Kathieâs paintings and custom toys are a satirical look at how fear affects our sense of reality.
One of the central questions raised in Kathieâs work is that of âwhat if': what if these âcuteâ creatures had their own agenda? Are they attune to something beyond our understanding, or are we simply too cowardly to acknowledge it? Are their misshapen limbs and plated mouths a deformation from living in a desolate wasteland,or perhaps an adaptation for protection?
The Misery Children are meant to evoke a nostalgic reaction that reflects isolation, fear and an uncertainty, yet they also act as empowered alter egos. While these characters explore their new lonely worlds, they double as our narrators. They guide us through their reality as they experience it and yet, even in their company, we are granted no reassurance.
