Wheaton Conversations: 
Artist Kayla Cantu

Watch the June 16, 2022 recording above

Kayla makes artwork that questions perceptions of unruly bodies—bodies that society has traditionally deemed as not “normal.” By exploring parallels of glass, human identity, and capability, she reconsiders notions of failure and traditional uses of glass as an artistic medium.

This event is part of “Wheaton Conversations,” a new virtual series highlighting select artists with ties to WheatonArts! To see the full schedule of conversations, Click Here. Thank you to our sponsors, PNC Arts Alive! and the Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass.

Kayla Cantu describes herself as a biracial, bisexual, fat female artist, writer, and educator who utilizes glass, video, photography, and mixed media. Even when absent, glass serves as inspiration for her work by relating qualities of glass to the human body. Through questioning society’s traditional understanding of normality and abnormality, her practice explores curiosities of discomfort surrounding unruly bodies and perceptions of identity. She received her BFA from West Texas A&M University and her MFA in Glass from Rochester Institute of Technology. Recently, she has held the position of glass studio assistant at Centre College. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally and featured in publications such as New Glass Review. She has a problem with rambling and looks perpetually angry. She is not angry: that’s just her face. She will talk your ear off about glass, art, her pets, tattoos, cool rocks, or basically anything. She is also bad at social cues and knowing when it’s appropriate to end a conversation or biography.