Akeen Kidder has crafted his own space in the yarn and art worlds, and we love it! He’s sharing a bit about himself and his art with us.
This interview was originally published in the August 2024 Digital Edition of Crochet Foundry Magazine.
Hello Akeen, welcome to the Crochet Foundry Community! We’re looking forward to getting to know you and your art.
Please tell us a bit about who you are and what you do.
I’m Akeen Kidder, also known as the Yarn Art Guy. I’m a visual artist who specializes in creating unique artworks by gluing yarn onto canvas. The goal of my art is to ignite creativity in others. I like to think that everyone has a creative spark and it’s all about finding a medium to express it that works for you! I never thought yarn would be that medium for me until I decided to try something new. I’ve recently turned my passion for yarn art into a business, showcasing my creations at art shows and exhibitions. My most notable series, the “Black Icon Series,” celebrates black celebrities that inspired me, through vibrant yarn portraits.
How did you end up making paintings with yarn?
I have this need to be special! As someone who always loved to create, I wanted to do something that I had never seen others do. One day, while admiring Vincent van Gogh’s “Starry Night,” I noticed that the brushstrokes looked like strands of yarn. This gave me the idea to start experimenting with yarn as a medium for creating art. I found that yarn offered a unique texture and depth that was different than traditional painting. Over time, my experimentation evolved into a passion, and I started creating intricate paintings using yarn as my primary medium. I will be honest, I thought I invented yarn painting but after some research, l learned that it was a traditional Mexican art form called Huichol, I just gave it a modern/pop-art twist.
What or who inspires you to create?
My answer to this question has changed throughout my artistic career. Now I like to think about the Picasso quote that says that we all have creativity within us as children, and the issue we face is holding on to that creative side as we grow up. I think that there are a multitude of things that inspire me on the day to day; from my family, to walking in nature and appreciating its beauty, to feeling hurt, confused, or overjoyed by someone or something that happened in your day. I think life is all about finding a way to creatively express your human experience.
Did you always know you would be an artist?
I always knew I would be creating. Did I think I would be an “artist” that travels around, showcasing, selling, and trying to inspire creativity? Nope! Life is fun like that. Growing up, I thought I would be an architect. As my love for science grew, I decided to do down the engineering path. I graduated from the building engineering program at Concordia in Montreal with the thought that I would be able blend my creative side with my science loving side, and design buildings. After working in the industry for 5 years, I realized that the creative aspects of engineering can still be quite restrictive, so I started experimenting with yarn art to allow room for my artistic side to be expressed fully. Turns out, a yarn art studio is way more fun than a construction site—plus, no hard hats required!
You do a lot of portraits and animi yarn paintings; how do you make sure you are not infringing on any licenses or such?
This was exactly my concern when I started selling my work, so I decided to meet with a lawyer to legitimize my business and ask questions like this. Something I suggest other creators do instead of just taking me on my word. When creating anime yarn paintings, I ensure I don’t infringe on any licenses by focusing on originality and significantly transforming the original works to fall under “fair use”. Yarn painting, the act of using yarn, is quite new and is seen as a transformational. The advice I was given was, if you don’t have the license to use a character, do not mass produce anything. For the portraits, there are rarely issue with public figures. Again, we make sure to adequately transform the picture from its source material and avoid mass production.
Do you have a favorite kind of yarn to work with, are certain fibers better than others?
Yes, I prefer using acrylic yarn because it’s versatile and comes in a wide range of colors. Acrylic yarn is also durable and easy to work with, making it ideal for creating detailed and vibrant artworks. I was recently told that it melts instead of burning so I’m happy that I am not creating beautiful fire hazards. While I do experiment with other fibers like wool or cotton for different textures and effects, acrylic remains my go-to choice for most of my projects. Nowadays people like to give me their yarn scraps because, for me, a little goes a long way. So, thanks to my community, I haven’t had to buy yarn in a while. (I still do because I am addicted, and you can never have too much yarn, right?)
What advice do you have for aspiring yarn artists?
My advice for aspiring yarn artists is to start with simple projects to build your skills and confidence. Dive in with a small project first—don’t go full “Starry Night” right away! My first piece was a daunting task and did not come out how I envisioned. If I wasn’t so stubborn, I might have though yarn painting was too hard and quit. Next, experiment with different yarns and techniques. I use a hot glue gun but that can be dangerous and hard to learn. I suggest textile glues. The way you will place the fiber will change depending on the effect you’re trying to portrait. Hair might be curly, so you fold the yarn onto itself, or straight, where you can have the yarn with a more flowy look, practice different things and see what yours for you. Most importantly, be patient and persistent – honing a skill takes time, so the process is what you need to fall in love with.
Do you do any other arts or crafts with yarn?
While my focus is creating yarn art on canvas, I am exploring other arts and crafts with yarn from time to time. I hope to create larger abstract yarn pieces and installations in the future. I also like to go to elementary schools to present my works, teach yarn painting and inspire future generations to explore their creativity with unique mediums. Also, I am trying to encourage my fiancée to do more crochet and knitting, so that the Yarn Art Guy can have his Yarn Lady. Hopefully she’ll start making me cool some hats and sweaters to wear at shows!
Tell us a Dad Joke, please.
Haha! Yes, you’re referring to the fact that I wrote and published my very own dad joke book: “101 Perfect Puns” (note from Jessie – I bought this for my husband and we all love it!). I wrote this book to showcase my jokey online personal and have something more affordable for people who want to support what I am doing but might not be ready to buy hand-made art yet! Since this is Crochet Foundry, I will give you a yarn pun instead of one from the book.
My doctor told me I needed more fiber. I didn’t ask any questions, I just headed off to the craft store and got 2 skeins!
Where can our readers find you and all your amazing art and products online, and maybe even offline?
The best way to find me is on Instagram @YarnArtGuy. There you can DM me for custom orders or find the link to my website, artwithanak.com, to see what pieces I have available. I do art shows in Montreal and Ottawa, Canada, but hope to do a bunch more in the states next year. I will be at Vogue Knitting Live early next year!