Ariel Kleinberg

Ariel Kleinberg is a visual and performance artist based in NYC. They hold a BA in Ancient
Greek from Vassar College and an MFA in Painting from the New York Studio School, where
they were the recipient of the Hohenberg Award. Their work has been shown most recently at the Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space, the International Fusionism Museum, Art in Odd
Places, and on Governors Island, where they recently completed an Artist Fellowship with the Triangle Arts Association.

I am a painter, a printmaker, and a performance artist. My work extends between theatrical
installations, ritual performances, and mythic interventions, all exploring the intersections of ancient mythology, old and new allegories, and my everyday adventures on earth. I am interested in multiplicity, in ambiguity, in inquiry. I want my work to be Dionysian, mystical, extravagant, and all-encompassing. I want my audience to be overwhelmed, empowered, and transformed by what they experience.

I believe that art is magic. I believe in the power of art not merely to reflect, but to effect change. I believe in the power of art to connect us all to each other and help us to reflect upon who we are and who we wish to be. As a queer artist and storyteller, I am interested in creating a visual mythology that centers queer identities and empowers audiences to imagine a world where we are all celebrated and uplifted for who we are. I am interested in mythology not as history nor religion, but as a tool for transformation. I draw upon my studies of the ancient past in order to inspire a utopian future.

I am currently working on a project (“Revolutionary Goddesses of NYC”) exploring New York’s allegorical sculptures—stone figures representing civic ideals such as Justice, Truth, Abundance, Liberty, and Peace– and reimagining them as colorful, queer, divine beings that can be magically brought to life to transform the city into a paradise. I’ve created hundreds of paper cutouts of these goddesses and am currently working in risograph and collage to create a book.