Artist based in Bloomfield Hills, MI
Kate Donoghue, Portrait of the Artist.
Tell us about yourself, what's your background?
I grew up in Michigan in a little city called Sylvan Lake, and I've lived most of my life here in the state. I earned my BFA at the University of Michigan and am nearing the completion of my MFA at Cranbrook Academy of Art. I have always known I wanted to be an artist of some sort, and my parents have always encouraged me. I recently rediscovered my written response to the question "What do you want to be when you grow up?" from when I was asked in the second grade. I said, "When I grow up I want to be an artist. I would make lots of pictures. I would like to draw people and animals. I would be famous too. That would be great". I'd like to think I'm on the right track.
Self Advertisement, 2024, acrylic on canvas, 60" x 84"
“A lot of my work considers suburban apathy, gender roles, and manufactured desire that is ultimately devoid of humanity, and mannequins have been serving my stand-in for that, as of late. I like to think of the painting as my department store purgatory scene."
She, 2024, acrylic on canvas, 14" x 20"
What are you currently working on and where did the inspiration for it come from?
I recently completed my largest painting to date titled Meet Your Maker, a triptych measuring about 6 by 9 ft. I've been thinking a lot about mall and department store culture, the death of brick and mortar and their brands as cultural institutions, and the sort of ominous cultish-ness that lives on through their dated yet highly staged and idealized advertising images. The composition was composed firstly from a photo I took of a vacant department store I used to go to growing up that recently went out of business, and added mannequin subjects at its storefront in a sort of tongue-in-cheek decapitation scene. I then layered an image from an Abercrombie and Fitch advertisement from the 90s, this sort of over-optimistic and absurd scene of beautiful young people frolicing towards the camera in their underwear. A lot of my work considers suburban apathy, gender roles, and manufactured desire that is ultimately devoid of humanity, and mannequins have been serving my stand-in for that, as of late. I like to think of the painting as my department store purgatory scene.
Progress detail image of Meet Your Maker, 2025, acrylic on canvas, triptych; 34" x 72" each
Innovation does not only happen in the field of technology — it occurs everyday in a creative practice. What do you do for inspiration?
So much of my inspiration comes by happenstance, when I am existing out in the world in the most mundane sense. I find that it works best when I do not force it too much or seek it out intentionally, but a general sense of curiosity and questioning of my surroundings motivates me. I also look to a lot of fashion editorial and advertising archives both for my paintings and for personal enjoyment. I spent my formative teenage years living a parallel existence through my niche Tumblr fame, collecting, sharing, and meticulously archiving images from fashion editorials, runway photographs, ads, and my own images long before I ever realized that I was doing such work. This sort of approach to finding and absorbing inspiration feels pretty intuitive to me now.
Progress image of Meet Your Maker, 2025, acrylic on canvas, triptych; 34" x 72" each
Describe your practice and process. Where do ideas start for you? In the studio or being in the world?
I often start by capturing photos of my surroundings, like when revisiting strip malls and department stores I would frequent growing up. Other times, I am staging and photographing scenes myself, or working from found source images from books, magazines, or online archives. More recently, a lot of these approaches have become layered and combined into one painting.
Reference image for Meet Your Maker; photo by Bruce Weber for the Abercrombie & Fitch Fall/Winter 1998-1999 campaign
How do you make your work, does it start with a sketch?
My work often begins with a number of images I've collected that I am interested in, which I then layer in Photoshop and mess around with until I find a compelling composition. Other times, it is a much more straightforward image to painting approach. I don't like to give myself all of the answers in the source images I work from though, and at a certain point, I will abandon the reference entirely. The undefined space between reference and painting fuels my examinations, invitations for invention, exaggeration, and affect. This in-between state is where I get to have the most fun. The haunting quality of my work arises from the interplay of overstated realism and obfuscation—juxtaposing recognizable symbols of product, desire, and the constructed self with fragments that destabilize them.
(Left) Window Shopping, 2024, acrylic on canvas, 36" x 48"(Right) Reference image for Window Shopping, taken by the artist
Many artists live by their routines, what does that look like for you?
I find that I am at my best when I'm working in the studio like it is a full time job, from 9-5. This is certainly not always realistic, but being in a studio-based graduate program for the past two years has made this routine much more achievable. I can walk from my bedroom to my studio in under a minute. I'm really grateful for this level of convenience and ease, and I will definitely be seeking it out in new ways once I graduate next month. I also wear noise cancelling headphones and listen to music almost constantly, to the point where my Health app on my phone warns me that I am over my weekly audio level limit more and more consistently. I should probably chill out, but it helps me get the job done.
Studio view
Who are your biggest influences?
Some of my favorite painters working right now are Catherine Mulligan, Michelle Uckotter, Julia Garcia, and Hannah Taurins. I’ve been looking to Sylvie Fleury’s older work and Cindy Sherman’s early portraits lately. Francis Bacon was my first real painter fixation, which will surely never leave me.
Recent research and reference materials
Are there books or films that are an important source of inspiration?
I recently rewatched the movie True Stories, directed by David Byrne. It was my favorite movie in high school. Seeing it again after a number of years, I had this moment of “Ohhh, so this is why I am the way that I am”. It's such a lovely movie, offbeat and satirical yet such a sincere portrait of small-town suburban life. In the last scene, David says, "I really enjoy forgetting. When I first come to a place, I notice all the little details. I notice the way the sky looks. The color of white paper. The way people walk. Doorknobs. Everything. Then I get used to the place and I don't notice those things anymore. So only by forgetting can I see the place again as it really is." I think about it a lot, especially after spending nearly my whole life in the same little vicinity in Michigan. Forgetting it all to see it once again. In a way, I think my painting practice is my means of doing that.
Relief, 2024, acrylic on canvas, 36" x 60"
What is the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
In the least pessimistic and depressing way possible, “It doesn't get easier”. So do it now, do it for yourself, and don’t wait for it to come to you. Easier said than done, but in a strange way, it helps me.
What is the best advice you would give to other artists?
Indulge in the weird things that compel you without shame, but take yourself seriously while you do it.
Portrait of the Artist. Early staging of self portrait photograph reference for Self Advertisement
Stay up to date with Kate Donoghue
Website kate-donoghue.com
Instagram @katedonoghue