AnySquared Spotlight Art Talk Featuring Kao Ra Zen. AnySquared Spotlight art talks highlight artists of all ages and experiences and include both members and friends. See videos of recent spotlight art talks on our YouTube Channel.
BE PART OF THE DISCUSSION Wednesday, May 5th at 7:30pm:
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About Kao Ra Zen
kaorazen.com
IG: @kaorazen
Kao Ra Zen, born Kenya Fulton, hails from Chicago, Illinois. Much of Kao’s art practice involves creative writing, spoken word, music, video directing, and performance art, though he has also been involved in projects involving drawing, painting, acting, modeling, and dance. He has curated events and performed at many prominent venues throughout Chicago including Symphony Center, Links Hall, Dank Haus (German American Cultural Center), Subterranean, Alhambra Palace, and Elastic Arts. In his travels, he has performed and exhibited artwork in Germany, performed at an Open Mic in Guatemala, and helped to install solar panels in El Salvador.
Kao’s poetry has appeared in ’Not My President-The Anthology of Dissent’ from Thoughtcrime Press, ‘Illinois’s Best Emerging Poets’ and ‘America’s Best Emerging Poets’ from Z Publishing, ‘A Love Supreme’ (an oral history of Chicago Hip Hop collective, the legendary Nacrobats), Fnewsmagazine, Tuck Magazine, and ‘Gut Check digest’ from Shady Pines Radio.
In February 2020, Kao released his first official music video, “Morning in America”, a controversial work that would twice be removed from YouTube. Kao would direct the debut music video, “Killing in the Name of Love” for longtime friend and creative collaborator, Dodo Mafioso, first released in April 2020. Following the murder of George Floyd, Kao would team up with another Chicago Hip-Hop stalwart, Ness The God, to release the single and music video, “I’m Tired”, on the 4th of July, 2020.
In 2015, he would earn an Associate in Fine Arts degree from Harold Washington College. A recipient of a Presidential Merit Scholarship, Kao would earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in December 2020. Kao had also earned credits many years before from Columbia College Chicago. He has plans to eventually earn a Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing.
He is currently recording material for his solo debut album, “TIME of the SIGNS,” for indie Hip-Hop label, Culture Power 45; as well as working on music with his performance art/music troupe, The Ungovernables, for an EP tentatively titled: “SUMMER of LOVE”.
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AnySquared is an all-volunteer collaborative and artists network. Propelled by a deep sense of cooperation with artists, neighbors and the wider community, our mission is to support, produce and promote collaborative projects that facilitate arts activities through inclusive participation. Our foundation is built upon the idea that we can do anything as long as we do it together.