Chere Krakovsky (born in Tokyo, Japan) is an award-winning interdisciplinary artist based in New York. Her early life was nomadic, constantly moving on, and leaving behind. That movement, the search for place, informs her practice. From performance to painting, everything seems to inhabit part of her story, a world in which she is continually searching, constructing, piecing together a sense of home and community. Krakovsky holds a BFA from California Institute of the Arts (Cal Arts) in Valencia, California, and also attended Columbia University. She received her master’s degree from Goddard College in Vermont with a focus on Performance Art.
“‘Everything is art, art is everything,’ said Alan Kaprow, the father of happenings.’
This is very much the spirit in which Krakovsky is operating. She is her art and her art is she.”
—Roberta Fallon, Artblog
Artist’s Statement
My interdisciplinary art practice explores questions of home, shelter, dwelling, imprisonment, sometimes locations of violence, but also healing within the individual, family, community and world. Relationships are the substance of these works, and the performative is the personal made public. My reaching out to the world and the world reaching back is the moment of performance. Finally, out the door, “What Lies Beyond the Gate Unknown” is the last chapter.
Through my work a new home is built, a place of hope and act of faith, the construction has begun and continues.
Press and Reviews
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Judy Pfaff Taught Them to Break the Rules—Now They’re Sharing the Stage (Art Spiel)
Chere Krakovsky, an interdisciplinary artist born in Japan, brings film to the show—a fitting medium for someone who never saw art as static. Her award-winng collaboration with filmmaker Mark Ezovski, The Straight Curved Line, on view at Art Cake, is a meditation on movement and the body as a canvas. Krakovsky started as a painter but, like Pfaff, quickly abandoned the square. In this show, stills and actual film clips offer the viewer a glimpse into her evolution. What’s most striking is that while she once painted, she ultimately chose to become the art itself—her performance-driven films are deeply personal…
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Anacostia: D.C.’s up-and-coming canvas for artistic expression (The Washington Post)
“What is this, a tea party?”
This was one of the many questions Chere Krakovsky heard as she sat at a cozy kitchen table in the middle of a sidewalk on Good Hope Road in Southeast D.C., between 13th Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue.
Why would a table, topped with a homey yellow tablecloth with a spread of sugar cookies, a large embellished shellfish, a mini statue of a bird and tea with all its extras, be placed in the middle of a sidewalk?
“I’m a performance artist,” Krakovsky said. “I set up a kitchen table with snacks in different communities.” …
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Come on in my kitchen, then go see Vito Acconci (Artblog)
When I walked up the steps and into Chere Krakovsky‘s kitchen in the lobby of International House, the artist was sitting at the table with a young man, having a conversation and drinking coffee. She got up, came over and welcomed me and then introduced me to her guest, a Temple grad from India who lives in IHouse and works in the financial industry. He drank tea, I had coffee. We talked about art and India (there are not many art schools in India he said) and New York and Philly. It was calm and congenial — no emotional baggage or family politics in this kitchen…
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Around Philadelphia: Paintings and Performance (Artblog)
I like talking to taxi drivers and occasionally to my neighbors on planes. Those situations create a finite intimacy; I will never see those people again, so I needn’t worry about making an impression or where the conversation might lead. New York artist, Chere Krakovsky has created a similar intimacy with The Neighbors Next Door, a week-long performance at International House (10 am-11 pm, Monday, March 17 through Sunday, March 23). She’s moved the contents of her Lower East Side kitchen to a public space, just beyond the lobby at International House, and she’s happy to entertain you. The piece isn’t scripted; whatever happens happens. Krakovsky only promised to be in residence the entire week…
Chere Krakovsky
cherekrakovsky.com
New York, NY
ckrakovsky@msn.com
Education
California Institute of the Arts, BFA
Columbia University, MFA Program
Goddard College, MFA
Stella Adler Acting Studio
Michael Howard Acting Studio
Peoples Improve Theater
Grants/Awards/Residencies
Bowery Film Festival, The Straight Curved Line, Winner – Best Experimental Film
ReelHeaART, The Straight Curved Line, Honorable Mention
NY International Women’s Festival, The Straight Curved Line, Semi-Finalist
Toronto International Women’s Film Festival, The Straight Curved Line, Nominee
Austin International Film Festival Honorable Mention, The Straight Curved Line, Semi-Finalist
NY Arthouse Film Festival, The Straight Curved Line, Semi-Finalist
Omi Residency, Ghent, NY
Art Matters Grant, NY, NY
Donor Scholarship, California Institute of the Arts, Valencia, CA
Juried Exhibition Award, West Los Angeles City College, LA, CA
Selected Performances & Exhibitions
2025
Beyond The Canvas: Touch, Tangle Trace, Art Cake, Brooklyn, NY
2024
Showcase, Peoples Improve Theater, NY, NY
The Community Kitchen Table, Art in Odd Places, NY, NY
Artist, Performance, Peoples Improve Theater, NY, NY
Improve, Performance, People Improve Theater, NY, NY
2023
The Straight Curved Line. A film collaboration, NY, NY
The Waltz, St. Marks Place, NY, NY
The Community Kitchen Table, “The Conversation”, In the Garden, Art Bites Gallery, High Falls, NY
The Community Kitchen Table, “The Conversation”, INorDINateLY EXubeRant, Springfield College, Springfield, MA Massachusetts
2022
Waltz, Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY, NY
Waltz, Reykjavik, Iceland
2021
Group Exhibition, Cypher, Paso Robles, CA
Waltz, Balthazar Performance, NY, NY
2017
Colin Kaepernick, Performance, NY, NY
2013
The Secretary, Performance. The Snowball Festival, NY, NY
2012
The Community Kitchen Table, Performance. The Corcoran, Washington, DC-,
Habitat for Artists Collective
The Community Kitchen Table, Performance. The Arc, Washington, DC-,
Habitat for Artists Collective
The Community Kitchen Table, Performance. Anacostia, Washington, DC-,
Habitat for Artists Collective
2011
Soapbox Gallery, Brooklyn, NY- The Retrospective Project Performance
Soapbox Gallery, Brooklyn, NY- Cleaning Day Performance
2010
Exit Art, NY, NY- Ecoartspace Benefit Exhibition
Schuylkill River, Manayunk, PA- Women’s Work Performance
East Village/5th Avenue/Midtown West, NY, NY- Bury Me Intervention
The Barn, Warwick, NY- The House Reading
2009
Ecoartspace/350.0rg, NY, NY- Clothesline Performance
Powerhouse Arena, Brooklyn, NY- 2191 Days and Counting, IVAW Benefit Exhibition
Solar One/ Habitat for Artists Collective, NY, NY- Mothers and Daughters Performance
The Bunny Show, Providence, RI- Group Exhibition
2008
Abington Art Center, Philadelphia, PA- Other People’s Homes Performance
International House, Philadelphia, PA- The Neighbors Next Door Performance
East Village, NY, NY- White Roses Performance
Goddard College, Plainfield, VT- The Library Performance
2007
University of Iowa Pentacrest, Iowa City, IA- Naming Names Performance
Goddard College, Plainfield, VT- The Stage Performance
East Village, NY, NY- Memorial Day Performance
Goddard College, Plainfield, VT- I’ll Wear Your Questions Performance
Goddard College, Plainfield, VT- Coat Performance
2006
Goddard College, Plainfield, VT- Pillowcase Performance
2000
Producers Club, NY, NY- The House of Bernarda Alba Performance
1999
Michael Howard Studios, NY, NY- Psychopathia Sexualis Performance excerpt
Michael Howard Studios, NY, NY- Curse of the Starving Class Performance excerpt
1998
Loughelton Gallery, NY, NY- Of Another Nature Group Exhibition
Michael Howard Studios, NY, NY- Angels in America, Harper Performance excerpt
Thread Waxing Space, NY, NY- Carol Szymanski, Performance Participant
Stella Adler Studio, NY, NY- Dangerous Liaisons Performance excerpt
1997
The Kitchen, NY, NY-Tone Night Installation
The Exchange Show, NY, NY- The Art Exchange Show Group Exhibition
1996
Lombard Freid, NY, NY- Wheel of Fortune Group Exhibition
Kenkeleba House, NY, NY- Chill Out Group Exhibition
Amy Lipton Gallery, NY, NY- Group Exhibition
Chelsea, Chelsea Vaudeville, NY, NY- Group Exhibition
1992
Procter Art Center, Bard College, Annandale-on Hudson, NY- Pain-ting Group Exhibition
Sander Gallery, NY, NY- Two-Person Exhibition
American Fine Arts, NY, NY- Benefit Exhibition
1972
West Los Angeles City College, LA, CA- Group Exhibition
1969
Museum of Art, University of Iowa, Iowa City IA- Allan Kaprow Performance Participant
West High School, Iowa City IA- Allan Kaprow Performance Participant
Reviews, Catalogues, Publications
ShapeShifters Exhibition Essay, Amy Lipton Gallery, NY, NY
Another Nature Catalogue, Amy Lipton Gallery, NY, NY
Omi Residency Catalogue, Gent, NY
The Art Blog – Come on in my kitchen, then go see Vito Acconci
The Washington Post – Anacostia: D.C.’s up-and-coming canvas for artistic expression
The Art Blog – Around Philadelphia: Paintings and Performance
Philadelphia City Paper, Shaun Brady- Chere Krakovsky: The Neighbor Next Door
Art Spiel – Judy Pfaff Taught Them to Break the Rules—Now They’re Sharing the Stage
Collections
Art Omi Collection
Carol Szymanski Collection
Kadence Neill/Amy Lipton Collection
Jessica Cox Collection