Kristina Lenzi’s artistic practice delves into the intricate complexities of human existence and the transformative stages of life—spanning from the fetal state to childhood, adolescence, adulthood, middle age, and the later years. Each phase holds a vital relationship to the next, forming an interconnected continuum of growth and self-discovery. Recently, Lenzi’s work has taken a deeper turn toward exploring the womb as a site of origin, transformation, and tension. She interrogates the phenomenological experience of gestation: What does it mean to float, to breathe in an aqueous environment, to develop with such profound rapidity? Is the womb a sanctuary of harmony, or does it hold the potential for discord? These questions invite contemplation of the maternal body as both a physical and metaphysical space, shaped by hormonal processes and ancestral imprints carried within the bloodline.
Though Lenzi has no conscious memory of her time in the womb, she imagines it vividly. She conjures an environment of muted sounds, enveloping darkness, and fluid motion—a liminal space. Dominated by the rhythmic cadence of the mother’s heartbeat, this imagined landscape becomes a focal point of her creative inquiry. Lenzi envisions shared gestational experiences with her siblings, imagining a playful interaction within the womb’s confined yet expansive dimensions. For Lenzi, birth signifies a profound awakening—a pivotal act of liberation and the beginning of an autonomous existence.
About the Artist
Kristina Lenzi is a painter and a performance artist. She has exhibited in the United States and Europe and notable exhibitions include Mobius, Boston, Massachusetts; A.I.R. Gallery, Brooklyn, New York; Vertigo, Waterloo, Iowa; Chico Art Center, Chico, California; Rio Gallery, Salt Lake City, Utah; Salt Lake City Performance Art Festival, Salt Lake City, Utah; Miedzynarodowy Festiwal, Warsaw, Poland; and Infr’action International Festival, Sete, France. Lenzi is the recipient of the Tanne Foundation Award and the Utah Division of Arts and Museums Individual Artist Career Advancement Grants. Her work is included in the Permanent Salt Lake County Art Collection.
Lenzi holds a BFA in drawing and painting from the University of Utah and an MFA in interdisciplinary art from Tufts University in affiliation with the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. She teaches visual art at City Academy Charter School and Weber State University. She curated Utah Sites: Performance Art for Video in Utah Landscapes, Utah Division of Arts and Museums Digital Show, consisting of 15 nationally based artists. She actively curates the yearly international Salt Lake City Performance Art Festival that she founded in 2013. Lenzi lives and works in Salt Lake City, Utah. kristinalenzi.com