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About Me
About Me
Iris Mae, who signs her works as "Kenzie Doodle," is a young, multi-disciplined, emerging female artist.
Mae grew up in the rural Midwest, where art and creativity are sidelined and underfunded. Although she felt ostracized for wanting to pursue art, she knew it was the one thing that made her feel alive. Mae has had a passion for art since she was a child, and her work and dedication did not go unnoticed. Whenever she could, Mae would be doodling extremely detailed portraits or exquisite fashion designs. Due to the constant drawing that she did, she became known as "kenzie-doodle," a name given to her by her kindergarten teacher, which she now uses as her artist signature.
Thanks to early educators believing in her art, Mae was entered into several art shows throughout her time at school. She went on to win awards for her art, however, she wouldn't take her first art class til age 19—years after the majority of her peers. Mae has always been naturally gifted in the arts, but, due to her location and her family's beliefs, her work never got the chance to fully prosper. With starting late, and never fully having the support she needed, Mae felt behind in the art world, and that she hadn't accomplished much. Now as an adult, she is doing everything in her power to let her art shine, while also allowing herself to flourish and grow into the artist she always knew she was meant to be.
In her practice, Mae is trying to bring light to issues that others may not address or find don't "belong" in a professional setting. She believes in speaking up about struggles, whether personal or professional. One thing that she will no longer shy away from is speaking up about the mistreatment of women in the practice of art and in the world in general. As she ages, one thing becomes more and more clear: womanhood and sisterhood are an experience like no other, yet, they are often dismissed in a male-centric world; Mae wants to change that. As she continues to grow as an artist, she wants to use her platform to uplift and support other women artists, while also making works that her audience can relate to and also learn from.
Another topic that is of importance to Mae is chronic illness and disabilities, and addressing ableism within our capitalist society. Mae herself has struggled with health issues since a kid, and is now disabled as a young adult. She understands the loneliness and barriers that come with facing health issues, and overall, the fear that one can experience. Although Mae has considered herself an artist all her life, it took her becoming sick to realize that she needs to follow her own dreams and actually pursue art.
Now that she is following her own path, she wants to tell everyone her story.
Mae believes in being vulnerable, and that there is a story in everything, and that art is everywhere. She knows that her art is needed, and that it's important to finally use her voice. Mae is excited to call herself an artist and can't wait to see what will unfold in her future.
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