Lenhardt Lecture: Kelly Akashi
April 14, 2027
6:30 – 8 pm, Whiteman Hall
Free for Members | $5 for the general public
Join us on April 14, 2027 as we welcome Kelly Akashi, whose sculptures in glass, bronze, crystal, stone, and ash give physical form to memory, inheritance, and loss. Akashi's installation Polar Vista is on view now in the Katz Wing for Modern Art. She comes to PhxArt fresh off commissions for the 2026 Whitney Biennial and JFK Airport's New Terminal One.
ABOUT KELLY AKASHI
Kelly Akashi (b. 1983) uses material transformation to give physical form to memory, inheritance, and loss, translating intimate objects into sculptures that register time and change. Her practice is grounded in deep material engagement, where learning processes such as glassblowing, stone carving, casting, and candle-making becomes integral to her conceptual approach. She approaches mortality as a contemplative condition, attentive to the quiet dignity of transience. Akashi serves as Core Faculty in Grad Art at ArtCenter College of Design. Her work has been presented in solo exhibitions at the San Jose Museum of Art, Frye Art Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, Henry Art Gallery, SculptureCenter, and Galleria d’Arte Moderna di Milano. Public commissions include a monumental installation for JFK International Airport’s New Terminal One, an outdoor sculpture commission for Williams College Museum of Art, projects with the Aspen Art Museum, Clark Art Institute, and the Hyundai Terrace for the 2026 Whitney Biennial. She is the recipient of the 2024 Distinguished Women in the Arts Award from MOCA Los Angeles and grants from the Trellis Fund, the Andy Warhol Foundation, LACMA Art + Tech, Peter S. Reed Foundation, and Tieger Foundation.
ABOUT THE LENHARDT LECTURE
The David and Dawn Lenhardt Lecture engages Valley audiences with some of the most acclaimed contemporary artists in the world. In 2018, the inaugural lecture presented New-York based artist Jim Hodges, and subsequent lectures have featured artists Shara Hughes, Daniel Joseph Martinez, Arcmanoro Niles, Teresita Fernández in conversation with Amalia Mesa-Bains, Derek Fordjour, Rashid Johnson, Otis Kwame Kye Quaicoe in conversation with Larry Ossei-Mensah, Leonardo Drew, Lily Stockman, Eamon Ore-Giron, Charles Gaines in conversation with Thelma Golden, Adam Pendelton in conversation with Dr. Adrienne Edwards, and Caroline Kent. The program also includes an educational and community-based component. All Lenhardt Lecture speakers engage with local artists and creatives, working with Arizona-based creators in various capacities to provide vital mentorship.
SPONSORS
The Lenhardt Lecture is made possible through the generosity of The Dawn and David Lenhardt Contemporary Art Initiative.
The Lenhardt Lecture Series is supported in part by Prime Steak Concepts.