Artist Statement
Naomi Even-Aberle is an interdisciplinary artist based in Rapid City, South Dakota who makes performance and video installations. They hold a B.A. in Fine Art from Northern State University; an MFA in Visual Arts from Vermont College of Fine Arts; and a Postgraduate certificate in Non-profit Governance from the University of Pennsylvania, School of Social Policy and Practice.
Even-Aberle's artistic inquiries are inspired by their martial arts community. They explore various aspects of the relationship between sport, gender and the body with a particular focus on martial arts and combat sports.
As a martial artist, Even-Aberle sees the movement as a way to make space - space for action, resistance, power, and exploring identity. Their artistic practice combines group discussions, journaling, interviews, performative elements inspired by my martial arts training, and interdisciplinary media processes such as sound, video, and experimental photography.
From 2017 through 2019, Even-Aberle participated in the National Art Strategies Creative Community Fellowship and the South Dakota Change Network Fellowship, where they designed a martial arts public health program titled Learning Full Circle. Starting in 2018, Even-Aberle began to show their works internationally; Loosen Art in Rome, Italy (2018, 2019), #NastyWomen in Amsterdam, Netherlands (2019), The Rural Shop in the United Kingdom (2020), and an artist residency at Cel del Nord in Barcelona, Spain (2021).
Naomi Even-Aberle is an interdisciplinary artist based in Rapid City, South Dakota who makes performance and video installations. They hold a B.A. in Fine Art from Northern State University; an MFA in Visual Arts from Vermont College of Fine Arts; and a Postgraduate certificate in Non-profit Governance from the University of Pennsylvania, School of Social Policy and Practice.
Even-Aberle's artistic inquiries are inspired by their martial arts community. They explore various aspects of the relationship between sport, gender and the body with a particular focus on martial arts and combat sports.
As a martial artist, Even-Aberle sees the movement as a way to make space - space for action, resistance, power, and exploring identity. Their artistic practice combines group discussions, journaling, interviews, performative elements inspired by my martial arts training, and interdisciplinary media processes such as sound, video, and experimental photography.
From 2017 through 2019, Even-Aberle participated in the National Art Strategies Creative Community Fellowship and the South Dakota Change Network Fellowship, where they designed a martial arts public health program titled Learning Full Circle. Starting in 2018, Even-Aberle began to show their works internationally; Loosen Art in Rome, Italy (2018, 2019), #NastyWomen in Amsterdam, Netherlands (2019), The Rural Shop in the United Kingdom (2020), and an artist residency at Cel del Nord in Barcelona, Spain (2021).