Kaisen Barnes

Artist Statement

I am a black self-taught sculptor born in New York, but living in Durham, North Carolina. My practice is dedicated to bringing creatures of folklore and fantasy into physical form, not as caricatures of horror, but as embodiments of transformation, strangeness, and wonder. Over the past twenty years (I started playing with clay at 7), I have developed a sculptural language rooted in classical traditions while oriented toward the fantastical, where every form becomes a vessel for story.
My process begins in clay, specifically plasticine, where gesture and anatomy are pushed to the edge of believability. From these originals, I create silicone molds and cast multiples in resin, a process that mirrors the way myths themselves replicate and evolve through retelling. Moldmaking and casting allow me to sustain production, but also become part of the conceptual framework of the work—each cast is both identical and unique, carrying traces of the original hand while taking on new life through surface treatment and finish.
Through my studio, Bump in the Night, I have built a practice that embraces the dark and the uncanny, while inviting viewers to confront beauty within the monstrous. The work occupies a liminal space between fine art and collectible object, blurring boundaries and challenging assumptions about what belongs in either world.