ARTIST STATEMENT
In 2022, Katie Fountain and her sister, Kelly, moved their families into a two-flat building in the North Park neighborhood of Chicago. After many years of distance, Katie and Kelly have merged their lives: sharing childcare, food preparation, gardening, and more. Unexpectedly, this move also reignited their lapsed creative practices.
Fountain’s work collectively challenges the prevailing narrative of commonly fast-paced, technologically driven lives. Deliberately departing from puritanical notions of the evil of idleness, she redirects her focus toward small, seemingly mundane moments, infusing them with profound significance. By embracing and savoring these intimate family moments, Fountain asserts a profoundly feminist perspective that advocates for the freedom of every woman to live life on her own terms. Thus, her work becomes a radical act celebrating the profound significance of slowing down, cherishing life’s moments, and reclaiming agency for herself with her sister.
In this selection of paintings, Fountain explores the simple but profound beauty within the ordinary moments of daily life shared with her sister. She explores the interconnectedness of sisterhood and motherhood with imagery of morning tea, petting her cats, and taking golden hour walks with her nephew.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Katie Fountain was born in Jacksonville, Florida. She completed a degree in fine arts at Florida State College at Jacksonville in 2001. Fountain opted to pursue a professional business career but often felt the lack of the arts in her life. In 2022, Fountain and her family relocated to Chicago, where they chose to reside with her sister’s family. The experience of communal family life, combined with the artistic discourse she engaged in with her sister and brother-in-law (both artists), reignited Fountain’s determination to renew her artistic practice and sparked a fresh wave of creativity within the group.
In 2023, Fountain was awarded the Connect International Residency and was featured in Suboart International Magazine. She has exhibited her work at the Beverly Arts Center, Bridgeport Art Center, and Woman Made Gallery. Fountain resides in the North Park neighborhood of Chicago with her husband, two children, sister, brother-in-law, nephew, and many pets, including cats Bilbo and Biggie.
© Katie Fountain