Meet Kaye Freeman | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kaye Freeman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kaye, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
Interesting questions. I never thought of what I do as a business until around ten years ago. Probably because as a young woman growing up in the seventies, becoming an artist or owning a business wasn’t even a speck of an option. Being fluent in Japanese meant my only choices were to be a bilingual secretary to a CEO of a large corporation. This kind of thing really impacts your psyche. Now I’m in a position where I’m branching out with merchandise I call ©AngelDNA that you will be able to purchase from my website. I want to make things that are beautiful and life affirming because I think that’s what the world really needs right now.

In my art I highlight the beauty and horror of life in a way that hopefully makes my viewers and clients think about how precious it is to be alive. How it’s really a miracle that we are all here spinning around on this beautiful blue orb. I connect a lot with other artists and I have an ongoing collaboration with Amy Kaps, an LA based performance artist. We are called HIBISCUS_TV and we create environments and characters, performance and short films about the impact of humans on the planet in a very absurdist and beautiful way.

Even though I’m not a gambler like one you might meet in Los Vegas I have come to realize that I am a huge risk taker. I migrated to the US with only one friend here and no idea of how to start a new life. Turns out I’m much more resilient than I gave myself credit for. In my art I take massive risks all the time especially in the paintings with the big white lines. I’ve spent weeks working on a painting then just kind of take this calculated crazy risk of lines that can’t be erased. It gives the work an edge. Either its for the trash can or a museum. I think I live my life like that.

My dog recently passed away, I loved her with every fiber in my body for seventeen years so started making fourteen foot drawings in her honor. She loved being in the studio with me and I miss her everyday. She was a rescue dog and I gave her a life in art and love.

Absolutely loving what I do wether anyone else believes in me or not. I have a streak of resilience and self belief in me that is like a diamond. Friends and a strong network of people with a variety of skills to support me and give me honest feedback. You need that because the hard times the art world can be brutal. I get up everyday and just keep showing up to my studio.

I’ll give up when I stop breathing. But its important to know when to rest and prepare, nourish yourself for the next move forward.

Living in downtown LA has really made me re examine how I look after myself. There is so much coming at you constantly physically, mentally and emotionally. Learning to breath properly, meditate, exercise, eat well and I became alcohol free three years ago. It’s a choice I made as a way to be kind to myself.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My use of colors is what really sets me apart from the crowd. I have been collecting colors in my personal world since as far back as I can remember. Their meaning and significance in different cultures. Their spiritual significance as well. I am where I am because of people who believed in me. Nothing in life is easy especially if you have experienced grief or setbacks but in fact, it’s those very things that are the real treasures. You can either buckle under them or see the beauty, no matter how hard, it’s what makes life and living so precious. What I want the world to know about my art and the merchandise I make, ©AngelDNA, is that I make this work to celebrate life. I am obsessed with the mystery and the connectivity of everything on earth. All my art is about that and when you look at it I want you to remember how very special you really are.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would definitely take them to the observatory, then to Olvera St. And because they are my best friend they know that I would definitely be taking them to Santee Ally across from my studio. I love it there. There is a taco truck on Santee that makes the best tacos in town. In the ally they have clothes for kids, old men and exotic dancers in every color. Its like a color explosion!! You can buy crystals and incense and bubble making machines….you can buy anything there, its amazing. Another place I really love is the Forth st bridge and going for lunch at one of the restaurants in Boyle Heights. On Sundays theres always something great happening at Mariachi Plaza. An afternoon walk in the Historic State Park is also a must. Some of the downtown walking tours are great as well, I’ve done the underground one and the ghost tour. Just walking around downtown is beautiful especially at dusk in winter.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Miguel Perez, Karen Mundy, Amy Kaps and Natasha Dennerstein.

Website: http://www.kayefreeman.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kayefreeman_art/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@hibiscustv2712

Image Credits
The last image of the two figures in bubble wrap is my collaboration with Amy Kaps called HBISCUSTV. The photo credit goes to @gingersolephotography