How Vita Kari Has Been At the Intersection of Digital Culture, Accessibility, and Personal Identity

Vita Kari
Photo: CraSH / Shutterstock

Artist Vita Kari, a multi-faceted creator who weaves together elements of performance, textiles, and digital media, has quickly made a name for themselves with their innovative approach to art. With a unique focus on accessibility, their works often blend their lived experience as a deaf/Hard of Hearing artist with the aesthetics and rapid shifts of internet culture. Kari’s pieces stand out not only for their conceptual depth but also for their emphasis on creating meaningful connections in both digital and physical spaces.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Kari’s upbringing in one of the world’s largest cultural hubs shaped their understanding of community, aesthetics, and absurdity. “Growing up in such a massive city and culture hub influenced how I perceive aesthetics and how I relate to the world,” Kari said. “It shaped my appreciation of the absurd, and it’s a quality that runs throughout my work.”

Navigating Accessibility in Art

Kari’s journey as a deaf/Hard of Hearing artist is central to their creative process. One of their current projects, a tapestry series, captures their lived experiences of hearing loss by obscuring key parts of images—such as faces or intimate body parts—as a metaphor for missing critical moments due to their hearing loss. “When a video doesn’t have captions, and I don’t have hearing aids, I struggle to follow the narrative,” Kari explains. “I portray this through my visual works by unraveling certain parts of my tapestry. It’s almost like an analog glitch.” Through this process, Kari creates a visual representation of the fragmented understanding they often experiences, highlighting the accessibility challenges that many people face in consuming media.

Their use of textiles as a medium, influenced by their grandmother’s rugs, adds another layer of personal significance to their art. Kari reflects on the time they spent as their grandmother’s primary caretaker, noting how it drove them to honor their grandmother’s legacy. “I wonder what my grandmother could have been if they had fewer responsibilities in their youth. They shared stories of war and violence, almost nonchalantly, in a way that reminded me of the irony I see in today’s digital culture,” Kari says. This fusion of traditional imagery with digital and pop culture iconography has become a hallmark of their work.

@vitakari

@Luis Arturo PLANNED AND FILMED THIS VIDEO ALSO THIS IS HIS STUFF ily

♬ original sound – alsocean

Virality, Performance, and Spectacle

Kari’s approach to the concept of “Virality as Form” explores the rapid spread of content across digital spaces and its transformation through re-interpretation. Having gone viral at a time when they were experiencing hearing loss, Kari combined their hyper-public experience with deeply personal struggles. “It pushed my work into an exploration of the spectacle. I love to utilize the public gaze through performance to highlight personal and often isolating experiences,” Kari states.

One example of this is their performance piece, Trapped in a Can, where Kari physically confined themselves in a transparent can. “The performance was a commentary on the tension between spectacle and invisibility, forcing the audience to confront their perceptions of vulnerability,” Kari says.

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one more time just in case #performanceart

♬ Pop Muzik – M & Robin Scott

Another provocative piece, Close the Door, took their exploration of internet culture even further. The performance, which featured Kari in a toilet paper dress while performing hyper-private actions, was set in a public space at Art Basel. The performance, which aimed to highlight the issue of inaccessible public bathrooms, even attracted police attention. “The act of needing access to usable facilities should be a human right, but too often, it’s criminalized,” Kari remarks. A portion of proceeds from the event went to causes supporting unhoused individuals and LGBTQ+ youth.

Digital Diaspora and Intersectionality

Kari’s work also speaks to what they call the “digital diaspora,” a feeling of isolation in the physical world that often finds a sense of community online. “I feel suspended between cultures and identities. The Internet has become a space where I can bridge these gaps,” they explain. Their textiles are inspired by the pixelated grids of digital screens, showing how the smallest digital units can carry entire histories of connection. “When you zoom in on a screen, the visual structure is incredibly similar to that of a woven tapestry. I’ve always seen the breakdown of digital imagery as parallel to how tapestries are constructed, stitch by stitch,” Kari says.

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#performanceart

♬ QKThr – Aphex Twin

Impact and Future Aspirations

In December 2024, Kari made their art fair debut at Untitled Miami, marking a significant milestone in their career. Reflecting on the experience, Kari admits, “I wish I could bottle the feeling I had walking into the fair. It was surreal and an honor to be among so many artists and galleries that I admire.” The show helped to cement their place as one of the most exciting artists working at the intersection of digital culture and tactile media.

Additionally, Kari recently showcased their work in China with Yiwei Gallery, expanding their reach into a completely different cultural context. “I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to show my work internationally. It was humbling to see it resonate on a global scale,” Kari shares.

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Looking ahead, Kari has big plans for the future. “I’d love to continue pushing the boundaries of textiles and video,” Kari says. “I have a lot planned, but it’s top-secret for now! In the distant future, I see myself teaching at a university in Los Angeles, possibly even being featured in art history books.”

Kari’s work is not just about creating art but making it accessible and relevant to today’s digital and cultural landscape. “I hope my work brings comfort to the reality of accessibility,” Kari says. “Whether it’s through my textiles or performances, I want viewers to slow down, check in with themselves, and feel present in their bodies, even if just for a moment.”

Through their multi-disciplinary approach, Vita Kari is carving out a space for artists with disabilities, queer identities, and unique experiences. Kari’s art is a powerful reminder that accessibility, identity, and technology are not just connected but can also become central themes in shaping the future of art.

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