Artist Statement

George Bernard Shaw said that if you want to tell people the truth, you’d better make them laugh, or they’ll kill you. Or you could show them the truth, which is the artifice of choice used by Kristin Simmons.

Blonde woman sitting with her knees bent wearing a sequence pink dress.

Simmons is not an artist who indulges in social satire—but rather a social satirist who indulges in art.

Simmons adroitly reveals the truth about us indirectly, her works—trenchant critiques—wittily exposing modern society through the objects of our desires. We have come to define ourselves in the 21st Century not by our aspirations but rather by the things we want, things Simmons mocks by trivializing. Having said that, Simmons is unabashed and unapologetic in her own appetite for luxury.

Pink and yellow balloons with smiley faces.

At first glance, her works—full of sparkly baubles and dazzling playthings awash in pop colors—instantly evoke a smile. But if we linger, discerning viewers notice more going on beneath the playful, glittery veneer that initially greets us. If we take the time to peel back the layers, we detect her signature smirk, wrapped in wit, inside an innuendo.

A cascade of innuendos and meta-innuendoes; eclipsing double entendres, Simmons is the master of the poly-entendre.

A martini glass pouring out glitter.

Her works reflect the theory of mimetic desire: we want things merely because others want them, so we mimic or imitate them. It is no surprise then, that these objects fail to satisfy our deepest needs, to allay our deepest fears, or to assuage our deepest pains. Simmons reveals that ours is not an innate appetite that delights in pleasure. Rather, we pursue hedonism as a diversion, a distraction from the fundamental emptiness that comes from our lives, ironically resulting in an emptiness that cannot be fulfilled by things.

Woman with blond hair and blue eyes with a surprised expression wearing colorful jewelry.

Simmons aims to unsettle us, jarring us from our comfortable complacence, gleefully juxtaposing discordant elements.

Preferring to aim her satire of conspicuous consumption indirectly, through the objects of our desire. Girly toys and board games—emblems of her childhood—are used to depict adult-only pursuits and serve as a disquieting reminder that children model aspirations and “values” after the adults around them. Human beings appear rarely in her pieces – when they do, women always serve an unachievable exemplar of female beauty, a theme that threads through much of her work. While beauty blinds and dazzles us; allure is a lure.

Pink toy soldiers with a pink background.

Great poets require great audiences. Great artists do, too. Make no mistake about the import of her work. Behind her Twiggy good looks and disarmingly cheery Legally Blonde ingenue exterior lurks one of our time’s most mordant and charmingly sassy social critics.

Those who appreciate great art—those who get her work—will want to get her work. 

A hand dripping with white paint against a pink background.

  • “Simmons’ art enters into a discourse about excess: how much is too much, what is satiety? The artist does not proffer an answer, nor does she offer her own opinion. Instead, she spurs us to challenge our own.”

    Epic Eye Magazine | Gabriella Coffey

  • “With myriad solo exhibitions and participating in the Whitney Musuem’s Debtfair, Simmons is an artist to watch out for.”

    Samantha Matcovksy | Huffington Post

  • “Behind her Twiggy good looks and disarmingly cheery Legally Blonde ingenue exterior lurks one of our time’s most mordant and charmingly sassy social critics. Those who appreciate great art—those who get her work—will want to get her work. ”

    Adam Robinson | NYT Bestselling Author

  • “Kristin’s voice and amazing art will help spark meaningful conversations -- which is always the precursor to cultural perception shifts -- we expect that her work will raise significant awareness for the United Nations SDG5 causes.”

    Jim Van Eerden | 5th Element Group

  • “Simmons is tackling some of our culture’s most hot-button issues with her work.”

    Carly Zinderman | Just Luxe

  • “Whether it’s mental health, pop culture, politics or capitalism, the unapologetically clever New York-based pop artist doesn’t shy away from the polemical.”

    Eliza Ali | Art She Says

  • “Prepare to be obsessed with Kristin Simmons’ exhibit at Bergdorf Goodman…a glittery, fabulous, irreverent collection of artwork that is absolutely begging to be instagrammed.”

    Guest of a Guest