Coffee Kang

Born and raised in Shanghai, China, Coffee Kang (she/they) is a conceptual visual artist based in Los Angeles, primarily working with photo, video, installation, and performance. Coming from a photographer’s background, she embodies ephemera in her works with a strong interest in site-responsive art and alternative gallery spaces, actively exploring the theme of temporality. As a queer, a visa holder, an artist of color, and a metaphorically unhomed body caught in a liminal space at the intersection of identities, Kang reflects a sense of loss and longing by making attempts to see and seek in her works, incorporates aesthetics of melancholy and absurdity, and invites the audience to engage with the narratives of impermanence. As an artist educator, Kang teaches at Las Fotos Project, Sustainable Little Tokyo, and Venice Arts, aiming to uplift the voices of communities she calls home with the tools of photography and art. 

Kang holds a BA in Creative Media from City University of Hong Kong (2016), and an MFA in Photo and Media from California Institute of the Arts (2018). Her works have been showcased at The Box, Last Projects, MAK Center, Launch LA, A Room to Create, LA Artcore, and LACE. She and her projects have received grants from the Canada Council for the Arts, City of Pasadena, Mike Kelly Foundation for the Arts, California Humanities and Foundation for Contemporary Arts. Kang was an artist in residence at Pilotenkueche and Eastside International in 2019, and Level Ground in 2021.