YELLOW THERE! – A Solo Exhibition by Kevin Kao
The Sheffield Wood Gallery is pleased to present YELLOW THERE!, a solo exhibition of sculpture by Kevin Kao, opening January 27, 2026, with a Closing Reception on February 26, 2026, from 6:00–7:30 p.m. The exhibition is free and open to the public by appointment.
Kao’s work is constructed through a lens of cultural hybridity, drawing from familial narratives, the body, and multiplicity to examine themes of assimilation, belonging, and collective identity. His sculptural installations explore the tension between individual and group, often referencing ancient art historical forms to re-present ideals through double entendre and humor. By finding “the funny in the formal,” Kao creates evocative suggestions of an Other through materials such as clay, wood, metal, thread, and surfaces that evoke flesh, fruit, and hair.
Influenced by Lacan’s conception of the self-image, Kao’s figurative work investigates reflection, refraction, gaze, and desire. Surface plays a critical role in his practice, operating as both seductive and concealing—inviting viewers in while simultaneously obscuring, much like Narcissus confronting his own reflection. Through these material and conceptual strategies, Kao addresses perception, objectification, and the construction of identity.
Within a broader context, Kao’s practice questions value and its relationship to history, craft, and authorship. His work examines how materials have been handled across time and how sculptural traditions can be reimagined to speak to contemporary issues of body, taste, and power.
Born and raised in California, Kevin Kao is a sculptor that explores the construction of collective identity through figure, reflection, and multiplicity. His work has been exhibited internationally in galleries and spaces such as The Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento, CA; Atlanta Contemporary in Atlanta, GA; and the Kranzberg Arts Center in St. Louis, MO. Recent awards include recognition as a 2021 finalist in the Young Sculptors Competition at Miami University, the Artist Support Grant from the Regional Arts Commission in St. Louis, and the Warren MacKenzie Advancement Grant presented by the Northern Clay Center in Minneapolis. He has earned a B.S. in Biology – Ecology, Evolution and Animal Behavior from the University of California, San Diego; and an M.F.A. in Studio Art – Ceramics from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Currently Kao lives and works in Greenville, SC serving as Associate Professor of Art at Furman University
