Artist Statement
I am a mixed media artist with works that cross the vast stage of storytelling, from designing costumes for theatrical characters to writing and illustrating diverse children’s books. My work centers around memories, cultural exploration, and investigating feelings. I approach subjects regarding mixed-race identity, colonization, sustainability in art, and the environment, all while reclaiming ancestral craft through costumes, textiles, printmaking, and storytelling.
Using a variety of mediums is a primal instinct; it adds texture and breaks up surfaces. In my illustrations/printmaking, I use India ink which allows me to apply the thinnest scrawling lines or fill spaces with deep swirling pools of texture. Dark ink is often paired with vibrant watercolors, when the mood strikes.
Off the page, I’m interested in pushing the limit of what materials can do and how they can be expressed. Processes, experimentation, and the unknown are why I create. It gives me freedom to share how I experience the world, how I see it and feel it. The materials let me find a voice as I move through different states of expression. Experiencing through touch inspires me to create.
Photograph by Parker Burr
Contact me
viviankrishnan@gmail.com
Costume Design Work
Her past costume design work has been featured in productions such as Homegrown: An Insurrection Play, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella, 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche, The Tempest, Lysistrata, The Wolves, Elephant’s Graveyard, The Nutcracker, and Doll’s House Part 2. In addition to plays and film, she has designed several theatrical dance performances at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. Vivian has worked on all aspects of costume design and production in Denver, Southern California, and Illinois to bring stories to life.
While much of her recent work has appeared on the stage, she began her studies of the fine arts while attending Fort Lewis College in Durango, located in the San Juan mountains of Colorado. There she received her bachelor’s focusing in printmaking and wearable art. She continues to grow her love for the outdoors. When not working on shows for theatre, Vivian fuels her artistic drive by writing, creating art, attending artist residencies, and tending to the garden. All while remaining a wilderness enthusiast staying inspired and healthy by going on as many nature excursions as possible!