Cat Rigdon
Dallas, Texas
A Dallas, Texas based artist researching ancient Cypriot grave goods. Represented by Goetze Art & Design in Memphis, Tennessee.
MessageCat Rigdon is a multi-disciplinary artist based in Dallas, Texas. She grew up on the island of Cyprus during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Rigdon and her siblings sneak into ancient archeological sites such as Tomb of the Kings in Paphos and rummage through abandoned monasteries and hotels, sometimes under their parent’s supervision. These strong memories along with the island’s strong folk art, naturalism, and archeological relevance is reflected in Rigdon’s work through her depictions of ancient funerary goods.
Rigdon graduated from Texas State University in 2014 with a Bachelor degree in Studio Art-Painting. After graduation, she moved to Dallas as a Decorative Arts Junior Specialist and Cataloger for Heritage Auctions. During her tenure with the auction house, Rigdon honed in her understanding of object and material culture. The position allowed Rigdon to handle thousands of objects, pieces of furniture, and a few ancient artifacts.
Rigdon currently works at The Cedars Union as the Manager of Development, focusing on connecting the community with emerging artists in North Texas. She is a member of the female co-op TRADE Oak Cliff where she maintains her studio practice and occasionally runs community sewing projects. Rigdon is represented by Goetze Art & Design in Memphis, Tennessee. Rigdon has received the DeGolyer Award from the Dallas Museum of Art, the Award of Excellence from the Laughlin-Beers Foundation, and was the Fair Director’s Pick for the 2021 edition of The Other Art Fair - Dallas. She has shown work with Galleri Urbane in Dallas, MASS Gallery in Austin, and has participated in New York Jewelry Week at Jewerly Arts Inc.
Awards
Fair Director's Pick, The Other Art Fair - Dallas.
The Clare Hart DeGolyer Memorial Fund Award, Dallas Museum of Art.
Award of Excellence, The Laughlin-Beers Foundation, Austin, Texas.
Paper City Design Award, Art Direction for Residential Interior Design, Dallas, Texas.
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.
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