Making art with people in locked spaces like mental institutions, prisons and juvenile detention centers is important to me. I think delivering meaningful arts education to young people is a tool for coping, improving self-esteem, developing confidence and connection. Any chance I have to support another person to discover their inherent creativity and the joy of making something with their hands brings me great satisfaction.
Kate Deciccio is an artist from Washington, D.C. whose work is driven by her interest in justice, mental health, humor, community building, and passion for the art of making. For her, wall paintings become cornerstones of public space because they have the ability to transform spaces and thus reflect the strength and identity of a community - in the form of a
counter-narration, a resistance, or a compliment. Her art has recently become known through her contributions to
Black Lives Matter, the
Women's March in Washington or the
March for Science. Her lively prints, which deal with social issues such as equality, community building and mental health, activate public spaces and attempt to facilitate collaborative art projects.
In an
interview with Impakter, she says, "When I create patterns, I want them to pulsate with a sense of rhythm, movement, and playful nonsense, which is also an
integration of geometric and organic forms. When I paint people, I want them to radiate
warmth, humanity and the beautiful characteristics of the human face."