Kiani Ferris

 

​​The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art

 

Inspired by Japanese Buddhist Obo ceremonies and reflexology, the artist's work uses organic and naturally occurring materials such as rice, clay, glass, and plaster to create sculptures and drawings that communicate with the earth and intangible spirits. The grant will allow her to create new molds of reflexology objects and increase the scale of their rice pieces, as well as fund a new performance piece called Sword Mountain, which will incorporate dance, spoken word, and the activation of kenzan objects used in Japanese floral arrangement.