Katie Stout

Katie Stout (b. 1989) creates work that is an extraordinary amalgam of traditional craft techniques, historical decorative arts and conceptual fine art. With every piece, Stout arrives at something that is complex and unexpected: an end-product that deconstructs traditional processes and transcends the object’s function and form.

Stout’s practice embraces the formal qualities of design, fine art, and fashion. She is inspired by an eclectic spectrum of references, from decorative arts and the intricate patterns of Victorian lace to kitsch suburban interiors and female-dominated craft traditions, such as pottery and textile work. Stout interprets and combines these varied aesthetic and conceptual threads through her own distinctive lens to produce unique pieces that subvert and dismantle historical frameworks and understandings of functional objects.

In instances, Stouts forms are imbued with an effortless and carefree humor, while others carry an incisive critique of outmoded gender roles. Her iconic ceramic Girl lamps reflect this multidisciplinary approach as they challenge standards of beauty and luxury, and reference themes rooted in the history of art and design, all while exuding a comical charm. Stout’s furniture also expands beyond lighting to seating, shelving, mirrors, carpets and curtains, incorporating materials such as bronze and glass. Altogether, she pushes the boundaries of the expected and acceptable.

Katie Stout holds a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design. Her career boasts an impressive array of highlights including her fantastical “Bedroom Curio” exhibition at Design Miami 2015, which was photographed by Juergen Teller for a Barney’s Rick Owens campaign; a furniture collaboration with Bjarne Melgaard for his installation at the 2014 Whitney Biennial; winning the first season of HGTV’s series “Ellen’s Design Challenge” in 2015; being listed in Forbes “30 Under 30” in 2017; and collaborating with Jeremy Scott on his F/W 2018 collection. Stout’s work can be found in museums and private collections across the globe, including the permanent collections of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, CA; the Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, TX; the Brooklyn Museum of Art, Brooklyn, NY; and the Museum of Arts and Design, New York, NY. She lives and works in Hudson, New York.