Kate Rusek assembles highly tactile sculptures, textile, and installation with an emphasis on craft and materiality. Her work transmutes wasting and waste matter into abundant, maximalist, composite forms and dynamic biophilic textures that interrogate assigned value, material narrative, and a rigid binary of ‘natural’ and ‘unnatural’.
Kate’s research, writing, and artwork examines the connective edges and dissonant intersections between humanity’s material culture and the natural world. Rusek received dual BFAs from The University of Miami and an MA from the Savannah College of Art and Design. Rusek has exhibited her work in New York, Los Angeles, across Montana, and the Pacific Northwest.
Additionally, Kate is a Daytime Emmy winner for her work on Sesame Street. She has built a storied career as a bespoke fine tailor, builder of couture and specialty costumes, and design/builder of puppets and puppet garments as a member of IASTE Local 764. Among other highlights, she has been on staff at Saturday Night Live since 2016. She has contributed her expertise to the broader film, television, and theater industry in New York City for the last 15 years. This work informs a portion of the artist’s approach to tactile research, devotional craftsmanship, and materiality in her practice. Rusek currently splits her time between New York City and the Washington Coast.