Kayla Tange
How would you describe what you do? Your practice, your craft, your cash machine?
For a long time my cash machine was my stage persona and sex work, however, I make work across a range of media creating a space for myself and others to strip away ideologies. I operate in the belief that other, unnamed worlds are possible, sometimes incorporating Valie Export’s ideas on the body as an artistic material generating something new by transporting identity. Expanding on my experiences of displacement, adoption, the absence of mothering and its effect on belonging, sexuality and boundaries, I pendulate between representational work that is often literal or satirical. All the while exploring ways of utilizing collaboration and humor to convey feelings of longing, cultural confines and transforming stories of shame into a symbolic and valuable medium, encouraging inter generational exchange.
Can you tell us where you are from?
Seoul, South Korea originally, grew up in central California but currently reside in Los Angeles, California.
What does your morning routine look like?
The only constant in my mornings are coffee. Everything else is somewhat chaotic and not consistent.
dis·in·te·gra·tion, wood, acrylic, unfired clay, video, 30" x 16.5" x 48.5", 2021. Video uses image by Caroline Yoo and vocals by Chuck Hohng, box design by Kevin Kane and built by Jinseok Choi.
Where do you look for inspiration? A place, a person, a book, an action?
Quite literally everywhere. The sound of a voice, textures in nature or patterns in behavior, a story or they way a note is played, the way fabric feels on my skin or a suspended emotion, memories, friendships, humor, existential conversations, laughing about absurdities, silliness, very bright colors, poetry.
A Performance of Sadness, acrylic on canvas, 40" x 60", 2021
What work are you most proud of?
This is challenging to answer as even if I like some work better than others, all have gotten me to a place of deeper understanding of myself. There have been performances I have been very proud of but I could never do them again, because they represented a time in life when specific pieces needed to be communicated. Also, there are works that I am content with but are yet to be shown, as it might not be the right time. I am also very proud of the work I have done with Sacred Wounds and Cyber Clown Girls during the pandemic. It was incredibly difficult to produce shows during a time of uncertainty, but we persevered and were able to donate money to organizations we care about as well as create a space for performers.
What has been the biggest challenge on your journey?
Probably being misunderstood or pigeonholed into a specific genre, medium or class without actually asking what my lived experiences were. This has been incredibly frustrating to experience, as humans are multi faceted.
How do you define success? What are the goalposts you look out for?
Success to me is never being comfortable with success and even if success comes from some project or performance, that I would not accept that as truth, because that is only what others perceive, not necessarily me being in a constant state of discovery and evolution. Goal posts for me are feeling good in my body, feeling like I have support, trusting in what I am doing.
What's the best advice you've gotten from someone?
I think the advice I’ve lived by for years now was this quote by Anais Nin, “ Had I not created my whole world, I would certainly have died in other people’s.”
From a series of drypoint prints created from polaroids that Luka Fisher took of me between or after performances. 10" x 13", 2020-2021
left text written By: myself, right text written by: Tristene Roman
Who is someone that has helped you get to where you are now? How were they impactful?
I am very lucky to have many mentors who have truly paved the way for me in both performance and activism. One of them in particular is Jerri Allyn. We have developed a close friendship/mentorship/familial relationship over the years and throughout many intersections of common life and art experiences. Very grateful for these conversations.
What are you currently listening to? What's your go-to sexy song?
Currently listening to Lavender by Crook. I have different go-to sexy songs for different occasions. Every strip club I ever worked at I would audition to Prince, Cream. It acted as some lucky omen or something.
What's the last thing you bought with cash?
It’s been so long I don’t remember, but probably lunch.
Photo of Kayla Tange by Luka Fisher
See more of Kayla’s work at www.kaylatange.com
