CHANNELS

MAKENA GADIENT —FEATURED ARTIST

High Priority To Do (February 2019)

2019 | 12.5×9.5 | stitched USPS tyvek envelope

High Priority To Do is a currently growing list of monthly to do lists, by the end of the year there will be 12. The flat rate envelopes are forming a playful narrative about being a woman and a 20 something artist. Some of the points on the lists are “Call mom.” “Student loans??”  “Dye hair” “Scan work” “More disposable cameras” “email gallery” “buy thinx” “fix dress”. The envelopes look both faded and pristine and carry the message with “high priority” even if the message is only sent back to the person who made the list.

Love You Less

2018 | 4.2×5.75 | in edition of 25 from the High Priority Series

High Priority (love)

2019 | hand altered USPS labels | 9.25×11.5

High Priority is a collection of personal inscriptions and lists. The USPS stickers range from one word reminders “grow” “heal” “move” to revealing phrases “let me leave  you” “leave him” “i love you, again” “this is not art but i miss you” and more. The work started as a homage to the artists relationship to street art and fiber work but continues to grow into something intimate which revels in being soft and open.

Call Mom

hand altered UPS labels

Makena Gadient has spent the last seven years in Seattle making work about personal histories, curating, and writing/directing short films. Born and raised in Maui, HI, she spends her summers in the home she grew up in experimenting with new material and recording stories from her family. She received her BFA from Cornish College of the Arts (2016) where she was the curator for the on campus gallery for three years.Makena sat on the curatorial committee at CoCA (2017)  and is a gallery docent for METHOD (2016- ). Her solo show at Project Diana | The Alice gallery last December brought her street art practice into a gallery space for the first time.

She has participated in group shows in Seattle at The Vestibule, The Alice Gallery, CoCA, and While Supplies Last events. In the last year her work has been in two Los Angeles shows with Soft.Core gallery.