Hello, world! I’m a person who does things that are sometimes deemed unusual. I’m all about art and design as a process and a practice—an approach to living that might make a difference in the world. Part of my professional agenda is to break down traditional educational conventions, replacing those outmoded structures with relevant curriculum that’s not only innovative but also super inclusive, especially for those of us who think and feel a little differently.

I've spent a good deal of my life exploring the dynamics of visual and expressive language. What I want to explore with you is how we might activate art-design practice in 2024 to challenge the status quo?

My work is research-driven, multi-disciplinary and ever evolving.

If you're curious about what I've been up to, check out my projects here: www.emmakemp.com; www.nocanyonhills.org; www.bakersfield.studio/.

As an artist, I make interactive soft sculptures that activate the senses while engaging two or more people. I am very interested in creating forms and the relationship of form to the body. My work explores themes of awkwardness, intimacy, personal space, proximity, and touch. I believe creative problem solving skills are fundamental to building a successful artistic practice. The ability to question, to have an awareness of our environment and to understand our body’s physical receptors helps us to create meaningful artwork. As a teacher, I encourage students to experiment by exploring materials and spatial relationships while stressing the importance of intentional craftsmanship and specificity.

I am a photo-realist painter who specializes in both drawing and painting. Over the years I have explored various types of wet and dry media including oil, acrylic, gouache, gold leaf, charcoal, color pencil, and oil pastel. My work has been exhibited nationally and internationally with shows in the U.K. and Los Angeles. I’ve been featured in publications such as Flaunt Magazine, Juxtapoz and recently in the LA Weekly and LA Times. As an artist I’m drawn to create the likeness of form. Whether it’s animals, people or objects my goal has been to understand the nature of seeing both objectively and subjectively. I bring this approach into the classroom where I engage students with critical thinking and technique. I have learned the most about art making through exploring materials and I encourage students to investigate and to push the limits by thinking traditionally and non-traditionally about materials. This helps students to create a new way of seeing and in turn broadens their visual vocabulary.