Young Creators Art spotlight: Kaia King-Hall

In her application video for YCP, 20-year-old Kaia King-Hall talks about the male gaze and the damaging body images that young women internalize. “I was trained to think that it was my fault, being comfortable in my skin wasn’t ok, and that my body was something to be ashamed of.” Yet, King-Hall talks about how she’s recently been “reclaiming my power and my strength in all of that,” and how her art is a vehicle for self-empowerment. Her black and white drawing pictures an androgynous figure with spiked hair, wearing only a bra, jumping into the air in front of a downtown cityscape.

The image has a kind of superhero quality to it—a celebration of the female form that is unabashed, powerful, and free from limiting stereotypes. During our interview, King-Hall mentioned that she doesn’t always know how to express herself with language. But, her art has become a powerful tool for communication, self-discovery, and reclaiming her power. “Drawing became my outlet for everything I was experiencing, and that's how I realized that this is what I want to spend my life doing,” she explains. “Art has given me a sense of purpose and direction that I'm so grateful to have at such a young age. I also want people to be able to connect with my work in a way that makes them feel like they are not alone in their feelings.” 

Kaia King Hall’s drawing for Young Creators Project celebrates her body and reclaims her power.