Kat Hernden

Artist Statement

I make art because if I don’t, I am a miserable fuck.   I know this to be true because for most of my adult life I didn’t make art.  I surrounded myself with artists; I watched them longingly with their portfolios when I was at university studying to become something “practical”; I even married one.  But, I didn’t dare admit that I, too, was a closeted artist. It wasn’t until I found myself sitting in my therapist’s office, faced with the reality of a fairly crushing depression (which is the natural outcome of being a creative person who isn’t creating) that I finally “came out” and faced the reality of who I really am.  On the advice of said therapist (which I heavily questioned by the way: “What do you mean I should quit my secure and comfortable teaching position at 40-years-old and start painting with no formal education in visual arts??!!”) I removed the golden handcuffs and picked up a paintbrush.  

Geometry comes naturally to me.  Patterns are everywhere; in nature, in architecture, on bathroom floors…  They make sense to me. They imbue this seemingly chaotic and mad world with structure and order and I adore them.  Adding thread to the canvas was a natural progression since I have been prolific in the needle arts since childhood, and I thrive on the meditative, repetitive quality of hand sewing.  

Sometimes I feel small or overwhelmed or insignificant. Making art reminds me that I, you, we all have something meaningful and beautiful to contribute to this unendingly vast and creative universe. Putting something into the world that wasn’t there before is my small homage.

Bio

Kat Hernden is a self-taught artist whose work has been exhibited in both Canada and the United States. Exhibitions and Art Fairs include the Rotunda Gallery, Kitchener City Hall;  Idea Exchange, Cambridge; and the Centre for International Governance Innovation, Waterloo; Toronto Outdoor Art Fair and the Other Art Fair, Chicago. In 2024 Hernden completed her first mural for the DTK Art Walk. As part of her creative expression, Hernden has incorporated her lifelong passion for the needle arts into her painting practice. Together this interdisciplinary practice has resulted in a meditative process, which has become central to Hernden’s work. Her unique approach and unwavering dedication have earned her recognition and admiration within the art community.

Hernden currently works out of Globe Studios, Kitchener.