American
b. 1966, Clara City, Minnesota
Lives and works in Minneapolis, Minnesota

Kyle Fokken is a mixed media sculptor who combines juxtaposed imagery into new hybrid sculptures to surreally explore cultural contexts between generations of people.Describing his work Fokken says I use vintage toy and ‘folk art’ aesthetics combined with rough construction as a way to talk about the passing down of cultural values from one generation to the next. At first, my sculpture may look foreign and strange but my craftsmanship and attention to detail capture and hold the interest of the viewer. I use this technique to entice the viewer to look deeper at the work allowing for reflection on greater issues in our society and question what we believe about ourselves.

Fokken gravitated towards using found objects at an early age out of necessity. As a fairly poor kid he would rescue other kids’ discarded plastic model airplanes, cars and ships from the trash to rework them. This realizing of the potential of a found object separate from its original has naturally led him to creating sculptures with what he calls my make do aesthetic. Making do is something people all over the world employ using what they have and re-purposing material to fit their needs.

Kyle Fokken has exhibited widely with public sculptures located around the United States and in London, Great Britain.