KAY CEE GUENTHER
Kay Cee Guenther, Daydreaming, 2022
Mixed media, epoxy resin, acrylic paint, and ceramic on canvas, 36 x 48 inches
Image Description: Layered swatches of colors, patterns, and shapes that surround a central puddle-like, metallic, copper and pink shape with 3-dimensional light blue and purple hands reaching out of the center. In the upper left, there is a Rubik’s cube with different planes in the middle of being solved on a purple background with different green and purple circles of various sizes behind. In the upper middle part of the canvas, there is an antique-style gold stopwatch that is cracked into many pieces, with a light blue background with white, green, and purple filligred lines spreading over the blue. In the upper right of the canvas, there is pink bold shape with blue and light green stripes spreading upwards to the corner. Below that, is a light purple background shape with light green curvy switls and burls on top. In the lower right corner, there is a bright orange background with white triangles and black squares paired together in vertical rows. On top of that, is a white Band-Aid like shape with various pink, blue, and orange hearts spreading off of the white shape. In the bottom center of the canvas, is a rainbow warped door-way shape whose borders get wider and wider as they seem to move toward the viewer, each new border layer a different color. On top of those warped doorway shapes are shadowed gray points in varying sizes and directions, but all roughly pointing toward the center. Lower left corner of the canvas is a shiny purple eggplant-like swath of color. Spreading from that back toward the center, is a metallic black and orange oily puddle with a cluster of different-colored eyeballs hanging out with some oozing from one of the gray points. The left center of the canvas is salmon pink with light blue curving and burl shapes layered on top. The effect of all these elements together is psychadelic, dynamic, showcasing the myriad mazes of the mind.
Using a vivid rainbow palette, I explore themes of mental health, perception, and the distortion of time. Objects such as the Rubik's cube and timepiece serve as metaphors for problem-solving, pressure, and emotional cycles. The piece draws inspiration from the moment Alice falls down the rabbit hole — a symbol of disorientation, curiosity, and inner transition. Through dimensional layering and contrasting materials, l aim to create an immersive environment that reflects the complexity of navigating one's own mind.
Kay Cee Guenther (she/her) is a multidisciplinary visual artist born in Yokosuka, Japan, and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, primarily in the Hill District.
Growing up in a family of artists, she began drawing at age seven while attending McKelvy Elementary, discovering an early passion for creative expression. Guenther works with gouache, acrylics, poured paint, epoxy resin, and ceramics, developing a distinctive style defined by an elaborate rainbow palette and immersive, symbol-rich compositions.
Her artwork blends vibrant color, expressive form, and fluid movement, transforming everyday imagery into visual narratives that invite emotional engagement. Central to her practice are themes of anatomy, mental health, and body positivity. Through these subjects, Guenther examines the complexities of the human experience, using art as a conduit for reflection, affirmation, and healing. Her unique vision and technical skill make her work both visually striking and deeply resonant.