ARTIST STATEMENT
I stage and obsessively repeat tasks traditionally assigned to women—ironing, sweeping, caregiving—in public places. These live performances invite viewers to notice the gendered labor that surrounds us but remains culturally invisible. In the 2024 performance ‘LakeShore Cleaner’, I walked through Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood wearing a domestic servant uniform and carrying cleaning tools. Arriving at Oak Street Beach, I silently mopped and re-sanded an 8 x 8 foot section of Lake Michigan’s shoreline. Performing these actions on Earth Day served to highlight connections between domestic labor, environmental stewardship, and the necessary maintenance that sustains our planet.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Kiki McGrath constructs temporary installations and performs rituals in public and sacred spaces. Her work explores domestic and spiritual labor. Selected exhibitions and performances include Swept Away in the Art in Odd Places Festival in New York City, Anchorhold in Washington DC’s National Cathedral, and 8HRS in Elevate Gallery at 21c, Chicago IL. Her work has been featured in Image Journal, The Chicago Reader, and Dove Tail magazine. Residencies include Mother’s Milk, The Poor Farm, and the Henry Luce III Center for Arts & Religion. Her projects have been supported by the Illinois Arts Council and Washington DC’s Commission on the Arts & Humanities. She hosts Coachhouse1, an artist-run project space in Chicago.
© Kiki McGrath