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Art is an ever evolving entity. Everyone from Da Vinci to Picasso to Kahlo must have longed for the ability to take what they saw in their minds and transfer them, not only onto canvases, but into the spacial dimension as immersive experiences. Never could they have imagined that this idea would one day become a reality. Kalyn Lady of XRenaissance accomplishes exactly this. She creates immersive artistic experiences beyond the mere limits of a visual medium and it all began with mediation.
Kalyn Lady Founder of XRenaissance
Kalyn Lady is an immersive artist from Florida. Her company XRenaissance Inc. specializes in immersive experiences that blur the lines between fantasy and reality. XR is an umbrella term that encompasses augmented, virtual, and mixed reality technologies. By working with teams of specialists and implementing various technologies, Kalyn creates multi-sensory experiences that involve touch, sound, and sight. Her exhibits explore the theory of relativity, optical illusions, and self-reflection. Through her work, Kalyn challenges viewers not only to experience art, but to believe in all possibilities.
What can you remember about your childhood that has stuck with you to this day?
I used to go to a daycare in my neighborhood. It was really special and unofficial. Just a collection of neighborhood kids in the ’90s. My babysitter created amazing events for us based off of Fear Factor and American Idol. There was a different theme every year. She also hosted intricate Halloween parties. I wouldn’t be surprised if this is where my interest in immersive experiences was formed.
I understand your father passed away when you were young. How did he and your mother influence who you are today?
I’ve been very blessed to have good relations with both my parents. I was always given a lot of freedom. My mom is my closest confidante and my Dad was my idol. People say every little girl’s first love is her father and that was completely true for me. After his sudden death when I was 14, the trauma stunted my growth and I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life for a long time. It took 11 years for me to heal, and that is when my art started to bloom.
How did you discover you were supposed to be an artist?
I was never really taught how much of an asset my creativity is, so I only realized I was an artist after I took up mediation. My mind really exploded with its innovation. When I meditate, I am clairsentient, so I feel things a lot. I’ll feel different, lovely energies settling all over my body.
Tell us about the art you create. How did you come up with the idea to launch XRenaissance?
I create mystical, immersive experiences. My ideas often come to me in meditation.
XRenaissance is all about the 21st century’s mixed reality renaissance and how that creates a personal renaissance within us all.
Was launching your own business difficult?
I never really thought about creating my own business, but as the world is shifting so am I. There was only one way to go after a world of shut down, and that was into a world of rebirth.
When you direct specialists to create your vision at XRenaissance, what is that process like? Do you have a vision board you present to them?
Yes, I use vision boards and detailed documents. I also vigorously research the different technologies and materials needed to create the artworks that are inside my mind. I look at the process symbolically as a biomimicry of the macrocosm with myself conducting the symbiotic co-creations.
How does your inspiration come to you?
My inspiration never really leaves me.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
I would tell her that everyone has their own talents and your dreams are real. I like the Pablo Picasso quote, “Anything you can imagine is real.”
Do you remember what you learned from your first job?
My first job was as an airplane fueler for commercial aircrafts. I learned that I could travel. Before that, I didn’t realize that it was something that people do every day and that it was a door open to me.
Is traveling something you do now more often? What has been your favorite place to visit?
I travel as often as I can. My favorite place that I have visited so far is Venice, Italy. I was completely enamored with what felt like a land from a fantasy novel. I couldn’t get over having streets of water and boats for cars. I had read about the city before, but I had never seen many pictures. So the entire experience was very visceral.
Can you describe what someone can expect at one of your art installations?
Some of my art installations are interactive, but not all of them. I use many different technologies from AI, VR, and AR to projectors and motion capture suits. Something unique about my installations is that they are intimate and personalized. Many of the artworks can only be experienced one at a time and are always shifting, so each audience member will have a different experience. I trust in the universe to deliver whichever personalized experience is exactly right for the one observing.
What is it like being an artist entrepreneur?
I feel like it’s destined. I have creations inside of me that the world needs. It can get lonely, but it’s really nice when you find people who support you. I keep my circle small. The people that I choose to be friends with are very loyal.
What is the most important message you want to communicate to the world through your art?
I desire to impart new perspectives to my viewers of endless possibilities. It’s easy to say that anything is possible, but it’s an entirely different experience to actually believe it.
What has been your biggest win in recent years?
My biggest win in recent years was finding my soulmate dog, Nadiya, on the street when she was a puppy. She had no identification except for a bow around her neck. I wrote a detailed version of her and my story, which can be found here.
What are you most excited about right now?
I’m currently writing an avant-garde experimental theatre piece called The Dance of the Planets. It is a correlation between world events and astrological happenings within the sky to see where the planets are, the geometrical patterns that they make, and what that produces throughout the world.
To experience Kalyn Lady’s artwork for yourself, check out her portfolio here.
This article originally published on GREY Journal.
