In this upcoming show, Alyst combines genius details that portray stylized memories and real-life events endured in the previous years. With a mix of vivid, intense color and surreal imagery, Alyst spins a web of seemingly quirky, truly bizarre, and at the same time, serious take on a contemporary world that can only exist in \u201cSomeone Is Trying To Tell You Something\u201d. <\/em>\u00a0Alyst has so far created a genre of exuberant, exaggerated, and frighteningly beautiful imagery where she finds herself participating in zany activities with many more messages to come\u2026<\/p>\n

First we see a purple color palette in one body of work, which shows an enchanting forest scene. There\u2019s a haze and a mystery in the image upon immediate viewing, with columns and angelic statues surrounding Alyst\u2019s self portrait figure, that lies on a soft bed of purple flowers. Candles surround her muted body, giving the feeling we are looking into what seems to be a funeral or sacrificial setting.<\/p>\n

What is the title of this work called?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s still a working title\u2026 and I may actually reshoot this while the grass is still alive,\u201d she says. \u201cSo far I have it down to three titles, but all say the same thing in a more clever or direct way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Can you tell us what that is, or is it best we wait?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re special, so I could say since I showed you a secret preview anyway. More or less the image is about my least favorite color being violet.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the next image we see Alyst covered in pink body paint in an all green room. There is a toilet, a plunger, and vintage VHS camcorder on a tripod\u2014all in the same color green. Alyst wears a pink hairstyle and bizarre posture and facial expression while sitting on the toilet and facing the camcorder. The storyline and inventiveness Alyst brings to this picture, seems like it could only stem from a real life experience.<\/p>\n

Did you build this set or shoot on a location?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI built this set out of plywood and painted everything. The toilet came from Craigslist, and was free, the rest was just found around where I am currently or from a pawnshop. I shot this in a garage where it was built.\u201d<\/p>\n

This one feels very personal for you\u2014is that the case, or is this just bits and pieces of your imagination portrayed in a fun and strange image?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s based on a real experience from when I was like three years old. It\u2019s a long story and pretty personal to get into detail, but I put a twist on it with a stylized color palette and wanted to paint my skin pink to compliment with the green colors of the setting. I also wanted to originally cover myself in salmon paint, but couldn\u2019t get it to mix right so went with pink. I felt like any other colors would easily associate as the wrong message. Example, \u2018blue skin\u2019 is a smurf, \u2018yellow skin\u2019 is like The Simpsons, and so on.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kat Alyst was born in East Texas (b. unknown), and enrolled into art school at Stephen F. Austin State University. Upon entering college, Alyst felt torn between going to college or running away to New York to pursue an artist career. \u201cI was so lost,\u201d she tells us, \u201cas many eighteen year olds are no matter what their background\u2026 I had a war in my mind and was a loose cannon, but tried to keep a good heart.\u201d<\/p>\n

A little birdy told us you actually live in New York right now, but it\u2019s hard to find online where you actually <\/strong>do live. <\/em><\/strong>Can you clarify if that little birdy is right or wrong?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Alyst laughs, \u201cIs that so? Well, I suppose I\u2019ll let the mystery linger a little more, life is more fun that way anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n

You are so interesting to hear on audio. You don\u2019t seem to have an accent that tells us you\u2019re really from Texas, or that you\u2019ve been living up north\u2026 such an enigma\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI used to have the deepest country accent in school. I worked hard to even it out to have hardly any accents at all. Sometimes the Texas accent does creep up though,\u201d she laughs.<\/p>\n

Thank you for sharing your preview with us\u2026 for the last image we wanted to know where your inspiration came from?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThis image shows pieces of my life from New Orleans. I really can\u2019t get into the specifics with this one just for certain reasons, but the year I spent there was a huge display smoke and mirrors for me. I love sayings and idioms, so a lot of my work will involve such sayings like that where possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

We see decaying walls of two-toned colors, religious imagery mixed with odes to Black Magic, vials with mysterious red liquids in them, and literal smoke and mirrors adorning the frame. Decaying florals surround Alyst who holds a knife to her neck. \u201cThe tattoo on my neck isn\u2019t real, but I would love to get it one day. I wanted to place a cherub tattoo on my neck to symbolize my silence being inflicted. For me, the knife to my neck indicates the male figures, who silenced me in many ways. I became one with both of my abusers, finding myself protecting them while enduring a silent struggle I didn\u2019t know yet that I was going through until I got away.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wow, well I think your vulnerability really shows in these that we have seen. They all have a different feeling upon viewing them, but correlate into the world of a cataclysm.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cFunny you say that, my BFA show was titled \u2018Kataklysm\u2019<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Well your name is definitely symbolic and it\u2019s own brand, that\u2019s for certain. Your legal name really is, first name, Kat, last name, Alyst?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cYes it really is, but I did change it. My name used to be Katrina, but everyone always called me Kat.\u201d<\/p>\n

Incredible! Talk about a reinvention. How much more work do you plan to create before your official debut?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cOriginally I said ten bodies of work for one show, but I\u2019ve already thought of some more ideas that will be more imagery. I\u2019m trying to document this all by video too, but since it\u2019s mostly just me creating this, I can\u2019t be sure to remember. I get very deep into the creative process so I sort of get lost for hours and forget everything else.\u201d<\/p>\n

We hope we get an invite. When are you going to be finished?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not sure,\u201d laughs Alyst, \u201cI sort of launched this message for 2021 to give myself a deadline. Otherwise, I would just be picking it apart and never getting done. But yes, you will be invited. I hope to have it in Los Angeles or New York first.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ah so you work well under pressure! Creating diamonds isn\u2019t easy. Kat, you\u2019ve been a delight to speak with and we wish you all the best. You\u2019re such a light and we want to keep up with your work online. Can you drop your website and social media handles for us and readers?<\/strong><\/p>\n