Koak: The Window Set

About

The first institutional solo exhibition of Koak’s work in the UK, featuring a newly commissioned body of work for Charleston’s town centre space in Lewes.
Koak (b. 1981), based in San Francisco, explores identity and human nature through art, spanning drawing, painting, sculpture, and installation. Her work captures emotionally charged figures and landscapes, bringing them to life with a unique and seemingly effortless line.
Through her paintings, Koak reclaims the female gaze, addressing how women have been traditionally portrayed by male artists. Her figures range from bold to vulnerable, reflecting the emotional complexity of life. She describes her work as depicting ‘archetypes of self’ that develop throughout life, often shaped by experience, which she reinterprets in her own way.
Koak’s use of colour and figurative style brings a contemporary perspective to the traditional portrayal of the female form in art, blending themes of gender, history, and the line between inner and outer worlds. Her work creates a thoughtful dialogue with the legacy of Vanessa Bell and the Bloomsbury group, continuing their influence on contemporary artistic practice.