Kraig Sims II

spaces + forms

Kraig Sims is a Michigan-based artist interested in designing impactful physical and digital objects for the built environment using traditional hands-on methods of construction. Much of his work is influenced by his formative experiences in various art and architecture programs, solely connected through the shared focus upon practical and efficient design. Creating sculptural and architecture-influenced works requires much information gained through the usage of various materials, forms, and architectural/artistic philosophies within the experimentation and ideation phases. These elements serve to guide my creative works. I am deeply compelled to work by hand, as the process has struck me as being both a meditative and organic one, filled with numerous opportunities for spontaneity in outcomes and design angles. The aim of my creative practice is to elevate traditionally important trades/skills from undervalued and overlooked fields (e.g., carpentry, woodworking, and modelmaking) in a contemporarily relevant way. This advocacy is informed by the utilitarian histories of the disciplines, and also serves to establish contextually interdisciplinary relationships. I also incorporate techniques and philosophies from the European schools of design (e.g., Bauhaus and De Stijl) and American advertising into my works in order to achieve a familiar, yet reserved aesthetic.