McKenna Schmidt

Artist Statement

Through the medium of art, McKenna expresses their struggles and channels their emotions into every work of art they create. Most of their work has themes of self-hate, self-acceptance, depression, and stress. Overall, McKenna wants to create a sense of community with their artwork, with the hope that someone will see their work and resonate with it in such a way that the viewer feels comforted and at terms with their own complex emotions. McKenna seeks to heal through artwork, which they have been creating for almost 20 years. Throughout their life, they created artwork to heal themselves and to get through hard times. Now, they hope that their artwork can be seen by many other people who have gone through similar struggles and their artwork can help the audience heal as well.

Biography

McKenna Schmidt is a 21-year-old genderqueer artist born and raised in west Georgia, USA. They suffer from multiple conditions that make day-to-day life difficult, including, but not limited to, depression and anxiety. McKenna is currently getting their BFA in ceramics at the University of West Georgia College of Humanities.
Growing up, McKenna always wanted to pursue art. Their very first gallery was in their father's bedroom at the age of six after becoming determined to cover all the walls in original works of art. Much later in life, McKenna went on to be featured in multiple student galleries throughout high school. In college, they have created award-winning pieces placed in prestigious University galleries.
McKenna works in a variety of media including pastels, ink, painting, woodworking, and ceramics.

Exhibition History (CV)