Basil Kincaid USA, b. 1986
Basil Kincaid is a post-disciplinary artist known for creating layered textile wall hangings. Kincaid splits their time between the United States and Africa. Many of the narratives and concerns that make their way into Kincaid’s work reflect the artist’s experience of examining relationships between ancestry, place, and the contemporary constructed self.
“When I visit Africa, I’m supposed to automatically belong,” says Kincaid. “Yes, there’s a connection, but the place and the people my ancestors left and were taken from no longer exist. My quilts address that gradient sensation of belonging. To paraphrase James Baldwin, a place where you will belong won’t exist until you create it.”
Through quilting, collaging, photography, installation and performance—done with found, salvaged and donated materials—Kincaid discards social mores while drafting alternative cultural fabrics. With an improvisational and community-oriented approach, resourcefulness and freedom of imagination emerge as critical components in the liberation of spirit that is reflected in Kincaid’s work.
Kincaid studied drawing and painting at Colorado College, graduating in 2010. In 2019, they debuted their first museum performance, The Release, at the Pulitzer Arts Foundation in St. Louis, MO. In 2020, Kincaid received the Regional Arts Commission Fellowship. In 2021, Kincaid became a United States Artist Fellow.
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Basil KincaidLullaby, 2021Quilt vintage corduroy, donated clothes, clothes from the artist, Ghanaian embroidered fabrics, hand-woven Ghanaian kente, wax block print cotton fabric, and wool79 x 58 x 1 in
200.7 x 147.3 x 2.5 cm -
Basil KincaidOrder My Steps, 2020Quilt vintage corduroy, donated clothes, clothes from the artist, Ghanaian embroidered fabrics, hand-woven Ghanaian kente, wax block print cotton fabric, and wool96 x 85 x 1 in
243.8 x 215.9 x 2.5 cm -
Basil KincaidBrother Code, 2017Donated cotton, silk, linen, acrylic paint, cotton thread, metal on wood90 x 65 x 5 in
228.6 x 165.1 x 12.7 cm -
Basil KincaidQuilt: Moving Forward: The Place Where We Met Doesn't Exist Anymore, 2017Donated clothes and fabric67 x 44 x 6 in
170.2 x 111.8 x 15.2 cm -
Basil KincaidSky Portal, 2018Donated clothes and fabric67 x 44 x 6 in
170.2 x 111.8 x 15.2 cm -
Basil KincaidQuilt: The Code: The Journey Within, 2017-2018Donated clothes and fabric67 x 44 x 6 in
170.2 x 111.8 x 15.2 cm -
Basil KincaidSelf Portrait, 2018My old clothes, selections from 2008-2017, cotton, jersey, wool, tweed, denim, khaki, backed with various donated fabrics60 x 84 x 7 in
152.4 x 213.4 x 17.8 cm -
Basil KincaidExaltation, 2017Archival metal print24 x 36 in
61 x 91.4 cmEdition of 5
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Realms of Refuge
Kavi Gupta | 219 N. Elizabeth St. Chicago, IL 60607 10 Jul - 30 Oct 2021Kavi Gupta is proud to present Realms of Refuge, a group show bringing together for the first time new works by eight of the most dynamic artists working today: Dominic Chambers, Allana Clarke, Basil Kincaid, Tomokazu Matsuyama, Suchitra Mattai, Michi Meko, Devan Shimoyama, and Alisa Sikelianos-Carter.Read more -
Parallel Lives
Kavi Gupta | 835 W. Washington St. Chicago, IL, 60607 16 Jun - 24 Aug 2018Kavi Gupta is pleased to present Parallel Lives. This group exhibition brings a diverse selection of contemporary artists working in figuration and portraiture: Firelei Baez, Alfred Conteh, Inka Essenhigh, Jeffrey Gibson, Glenn Kaino, Titus Kaphar, Basil Kincaid, & Devan Shimoyama. Each artist approaches the motif through unique technical applications and each has their own personal conceptual goals, however, the exhibition seeks to unite how the human subject in art serves as a channel between artist and audience, or audience to audience.Read more
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Textile Artists Are Back in the Public Spotlight in Museums and Galleries. Art Collectors? They’re Still Catching Up
Katya Kazakina, Artnet News, February 4, 2022 -
BASIL KINCAID DISCUSSES MEANING AND SYMBOLISM IN HIS NEW QUILTS
Phillip Barcio, Kavi Gupta Blog, June 29, 2021 -
BASIL KINCAID UNITED STATES ARTISTS 2021 FELLOW
ARTFORUM, February 3, 2021
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The Armory Show 2021
9 - 12 Sep 2021Sharing art in person is truly one of our most cherished experiences. While curating our booth for The Armory Show 2021, we were conscious to...Read more -
Frieze New York Viewing Room 2021
6 - 9 May 2021For Frieze New York 2021, Kavi Gupta presents an online exhibition highlighting key works from some of today’s most influential contemporary artists. Recent works by...Read more