K'era Morgan: Using All the Colors
Did you think of yourself as a creative kid? What did you do for fun?
I suppose so but aren’t all children? Some of us somehow hold onto it and find ways to channel our creativity into realms that sustain our spirit into and throughout adulthood. I do have very early memories of being drawn to art and color and wanting to make things. I loved flipping through Arch. Digest and marveling at all the interiors of homes. When I discovered graph paper, I went through a phase of designing imaginary layouts of my home and my grandmother’s. I spent time with an older cousin who was unbelievably talented at drawing, getting her to teach me how to draw portraits of people from magazines. My great grandmother taught me macrame and I made my fair share of plant holders thanks to her. Till this day, my dad has a macrame owl wall hanging I made when I was in 3rd grade! Arts and craft time at school was my favorite part of the day and in highschool my electives were always in the art department; photography, painting, yearbook, etc.. I think as I got older, creativity was infused into normal activities and was a form of expression. I wasn’t necessarily painting pictures for fun. But, I found ways to express myself creatively, whether that was learning how to sew from my mom so I could make a piece of clothing that no one else in school had. Or decorating the walls of my bedroom with collages I made. My mom actually let me paint a mural in my bedroom at one point. But I did other things too. I was an active kid and loved being outdoors. I could sit for hours and color but was also content with spending the whole day outside climbing trees, bike riding, roller skating, etc.
How did motherhood change your creative practice?
It changed everything including the paintings themselves. There is a clear delineation between before motherhood and after when you look at my work, showing a huge evolution in my practice. It’s interesting because this expansion was a result of restrictions in many ways. The hours I have in my studio are more defined and limited now. In turn, my paintings feel more deliberate and some have even said “controlled.” I work around my son’s pre-school schedule and weekends are usually a mix of social commitments and other domestic responsibilities. Whereas before, I was much more flexible about when I worked– weekdays, weekends, etc. and thus the number of hours each day I put into producing work. I also now have to pack more into my work-day because as much as I would love to spend several hours painting, as a self-employed artist I also have a business to run. There are days I’m in the studio doing administrative tasks and nothing remotely creative.
How can we support and encourage each other more?
I recently came across a quote someone shared by Germaine Greer from 1979. It’s very specific to the artworld but since that is the realm within which I navigate professionally (even though I’m on the outskirts), I feel like it’s a relevant response to this question in relation to the paltry representation of women artists within the art world: “Women should be cruel and ruthless about buying women’s art only.” Once there is a solid corps of women collectors, the art will be worth more, there’ll be more women’s art.” When someone, especially a woman , purchases a piece of my artwork it is the ultimate show of support as well as encouragement to keep pushing my practice forward. However, I know support comes in a variety of formats and I’m grateful for them all. Furthermore, I don’t know if it’s a question of more. Do what you can but let it be consistent or as consistent as possible. I think that’s my biggest advice.
What do you hope your kids will learn about creativity from you?
I hope my son holds onto his creativity and feels secure to let it grow and evolve throughout his life. Regardless if he chooses to pursue a creative career or not, I hope he learns to appreciate and support creativity in the various forms it takes in the world, understanding that it is a vital part of humanity.
I took him for a private viewing of a solo show I had in November 2024 and the first words out of his mouth when he walked into the gallery were: “Thank you mama for painting so many beautiful pictures with all the colors.”
For him, having a mama that is an artist and paints is normal. Going to gallery exhibitions is normal. I hope the sentiment he expressed to me that day remains with him for a lifetime and not just about my work!
If you had a free hour, how would you spend it? What about a free day?
A free hour where my mind isn’t focusing on my “to-do” list would be spent taking a power nap or reading one of the novels on my nightstand while sipping a hot spicy chai tea. A free day would definitely include time spent in nature, either a hike in the mountains or surf session in the morning followed by an afternoon spent at the Korean spa; soaking, reposing, and getting rubbed and scrubbed silky smooth.
K’era is a Los Angeles-based mixed media artist who continues to explore the art of abstraction in the form of collage and painting, oftentimes bringing the two together to create her delicately layered and dynamic pieces. She graduated from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago with a BFA in textile design.
In addition to her studio art practice, Morgan previously collaborated with artisans in the U.S., Mexico and UK to transform her multi-media artwork into woven, knitted and printed homewares under the brand name k-apostrophe. Her textile collections generated attention within the design world resulting in various accolades including a cover piece in Dwell Magazine’s Annual Emerging Designer issue in 2021.
In late 2024, after a period of deep introspection, Morgan made the decision to pivot from her homewares and textile production to refocus on her fine art practice. Exciting ideas and mediums new to her practice (like functional art objects) are on the horizon for Morgan, but we can expect to see her love for and experience with textiles re-emerge in this new chapter.
Morgan’s paintings have been featured in a variety of group exhibitions within the U.S and in addition to her textile homewares range, can be found in numerous private collections within North America and Europe. You can find her at k-apostrophe.com and on Instagram @k_apostrophe.com.
Nebula Notebook is a place to meet kindred spirits, get inspired, and learn how to find ease and joy in the creative process—even when life is bananas. 🍌🍌🍌
✏️ PS—The fastest way to grow as a writer is to book a manuscript critique or a creative coaching session with an expert. My clients get agents, sell books, and win awards. They also learn how to enjoy the creative process, so they can keep going when life gets hard. 👏
