Cat Rigdon
Artsy Page
Artist Bio
Cat Rigdon is a multi-disciplinary artist based in Dallas, Texas. She grew up on the island of Cyprus, the island’s strong folk art and naturalism culture is reflected in Rigdon’s work. She graduated from Texas State University in 2014 and moved to Dallas as a Decorative Arts Junior Specialist and Cataloger for Heritage Auctions. She left the auction house after a serious head injury to pursue a studio-based lifestyle. Her obsessively repetitive works deal with her continuous recovery from the brain injury, the mythology of growing up on the island of Cyprus, and artifacts from being an auction catalogers.
Artist Statement
My work is in conversation with the ancient dig-site of Enkomi, which is located near war-torn Famagusta in the disputed Republic of Northern Cyprus. While in London this past Summer, I came across a few artifacts from this site at The British Museum. There were so many rarities including gold mouth diadems. Rude-Style ceramics, and beaked lady votives. These objects spoke of the island’s complicated past, as it is in a very strategic area of the Mediterranean, and reminded me of my childhood there. I grew up in Greek Southern Cyprus and could not enter the demilitarized UN Green Zone or the Turkish Northern territory. As a child, the North seemed to be untouchable and mythical, full of relics from a bygone era with fabulous beaches. In 1974, a violent coup d’etat divided the island between Turkish and Greek Cypriot powers, displacing the residents with many remaining missing. Many people in my community had fled from Famagusta and would share their sad tales of the beauty and history from their region. Suddenly, my family emigrated in 2003 to the USA. The whole island seemed to become an unreachable destination like the North was during my childhood years. Using the digitized records and personal images, I have been recreating the site objects in ceramics, watercolor, and with oil on custom-cut acrylic panels. Ultimately, I would be creating a representation of an Enkomi burial site while trying to feel closer to the culture I still haunt.
Artist Bio
Cat Rigdon is a multi-disciplinary artist based in Dallas, Texas. She grew up on the island of Cyprus, the island’s strong folk art and naturalism culture is reflected in Rigdon’s work. She graduated from Texas State University in 2014 and moved to Dallas as a Decorative Arts Junior Specialist and Cataloger for Heritage Auctions. She left the auction house after a serious head injury to pursue a studio-based lifestyle. Her obsessively repetitive works deal with her continuous recovery from the brain injury, the mythology of growing up on the island of Cyprus, and artifacts from being an auction catalogers.
Artist Statement
My work is in conversation with the ancient dig-site of Enkomi, which is located near war-torn Famagusta in the disputed Republic of Northern Cyprus. While in London this past Summer, I came across a few artifacts from this site at The British Museum. There were so many rarities including gold mouth diadems. Rude-Style ceramics, and beaked lady votives. These objects spoke of the island’s complicated past, as it is in a very strategic area of the Mediterranean, and reminded me of my childhood there. I grew up in Greek Southern Cyprus and could not enter the demilitarized UN Green Zone or the Turkish Northern territory. As a child, the North seemed to be untouchable and mythical, full of relics from a bygone era with fabulous beaches. In 1974, a violent coup d’etat divided the island between Turkish and Greek Cypriot powers, displacing the residents with many remaining missing. Many people in my community had fled from Famagusta and would share their sad tales of the beauty and history from their region. Suddenly, my family emigrated in 2003 to the USA. The whole island seemed to become an unreachable destination like the North was during my childhood years. Using the digitized records and personal images, I have been recreating the site objects in ceramics, watercolor, and with oil on custom-cut acrylic panels. Ultimately, I would be creating a representation of an Enkomi burial site while trying to feel closer to the culture I still haunt.
Curriculum Vitae
EDUCATION
BFA Studio Art – Painting, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX, 2014.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2016 - “Backyard Daoism”, Galleri Urbane, Dallas, TX.
2021 - "The Kourion Twins”, The Cedars Union, Dallas, TX.
2021 - “Catatonicdisco and The Ancient Feminine”, The Cedars Union, Dallas, TX.
RESIDENCIES
2015 - Micro Residency, The Nartonis Project, Los Angeles.
2020/2021 - Artist in Residence, The Cedars Union, Dallas, Texas.
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2009 - “AHA! Moments,” Flatbed Press, Austin, TX.
2010 - “On My Own Time,” North Park Mall, Dallas, TX. 2010 - “AHA! Moments,” Flatbed Press, Austin, TX.
2012 - “Body of Evidence,” Square One Gallery, Bryan, TX. 2012 - “It’s Not You, It’s Me.” Wreck Center, San Marcos, TX.
2012 - “SSHWP – End of the World,” SSHWP Headquarters, San Marcos, TX. 2013 - “All Student Juried Show,” Texas State University Gallery I, San Marcos, TX.
2013 - “Every Sentence is Populated by the Voices of Others,” Texas State University’s Gallery I, Curated by Josh Rios and Anthony Romero, San Marcos, TX.
2013 - “This Is This Is It,” Texas State University Galleries, San Marcos, TX.
2014 - “Retail Adventure,” MASS Gallery, Austin, TX.
2014 - “Art Shit-eau,” Grey Box – Texas State University, San Marcos, TX.
2014 - “Redux Delux,” Texas State University Gallery I, San Marcos, TX.
2014 - “_Core_Samples_,” Galleri Urbane, Curated by Adrian Zuniga, Dallas, TX.
2015 - “Over Spun,” Mist Gallery, Richmond, VA. 2015 - “Soft Core,” Cement Loop, Curated by Monica Alfonso, Austin, TX. 2015 -“Texas Cuntry,” ATM Gallery, Curated by Christina Bishop, Austin, TX.
2016 - “Hot & Sweaty 5: Open Call,” 500X, Dallas, TX.
2016 - “Art Hop,” Georgetown Art Center, Curated by Shawn Camp, Georgetown, TX.
2019 - “Color,” Maddrey PLLC, Curated by Jennifer Klos, Dallas, TX.
2020 - “22nd Annual ArtWorks Exhibit,” The Walkers Gallery, San Marcos, TX.
2020 - “Texas Now,” Artspace 111, Fort Worth, online exhibition. 2020 - “Hot & Sweaty 2020,” 500X Gallery, online exhibition. 2020 - “Pen Pals,” MASS Gallery, Austin, TX.
2020 - “Site Specific,” The Cedars Union, Dallas, TX.
2021 - “23rd Annual ArtWorks Exhibit,” The Walkers Gallery, San Marcos, TX.
2021 - “Serenity,” Ely Center of Contemporary Art, New Haven, CT.
2021 - “Hyperlocal II,” Curated by Jordan Roth, The MAC, Dallas, TX.
2021 - “Whereabouts,” Curated by Laura J. Lawson, S14 Gallery, The Cedars Union, Dallas, TX.
2021 - “Ars Alchemica,” Curated by Donna Bilak and Christianne Teague, Jewelry Arts Inc. with New York City Jewelry Week, New York, New York.
2021 - “Act Like You Like Each Other,” The Umbrella Gallery, Dallas, TX.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
2012 Dugger, Adam. Cat Rigdon: King Frog (A Deck of Cards), gallerythree.blogspot.com, 9/30/2012
2014 Camplin, Todd. CORE SAMPLES at Galleri Urbane, http:// moderndallas.net/todd_camplin_weekly.html#.U-pgjfldWSo 2020 Pittman, Emily. Virtual Gathering No. 8, The Gathered Gallery, 12/29/2020, https://www.thegatheredgallery.com/post/virtualgathering-no-8-berman-porter-rigdon
2021 Various Authors. Pen Pals, MASS Gallery, MASS Gallery Press.
2021 Martynjuk, Svitlana. Gallery Shop, All She Makes Magazine Issue 3, p.150, November 2021.
AWARDS
2013 Award of Excellence, The Laughlin – Beers Foundation, Austin, TX.
2014 First Place Professional Drawing, Mixed Media, Fiber Arts “On My Own Time,” Dallas, TX.
2015 The Clare Hart DeGolyer Memorial Fund Award, Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, TX.
2015 Paper City Design Awards, Art Direction for Residential Interior Design: Entertaining Space, Dallas, TX.
2021 Fair Director’s Pick, The Other Art Fair - Dallas/ Fort Worth Edition.
