Chere Krakovsky (born in Tokyo, Japan) is a New York based interdisciplinary artist. 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

  • Come on in my kitchen, then go see Vito Acconci

    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. Read More

  • Anacostia: D.C.’s up-and-coming canvas for artistic expression

    “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.” Read More

  • Around Philadelphia: Paintings and Performance

    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. Read More

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

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

2024

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

https://www.theartblog.org/2008/03/come-on-in-my-kitchen/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/anacostia-dcs-up-and-coming-canvas-for-artistic-expression/2012/04/24/gIQA0haheT_story.html

https://www.theartblog.org/2008/03/around-philadelphia-paintings-and-performance/

Philadelphia City Paper, Shaun Brady- Chere Krakovsky: The Neighbor Next Door

Collections

Art Omi Collection

Carol Szymanski Collection

Kadence Neill/Amy Lipton Collection

Jessica Cox Collection