Ava Woo Kaufman's Multidisciplinary Practice Explores Survival and Craftsmanship

Ava Woo Kaufman, an artist based in Point Reyes, California, and New York, works across textiles, photography, printmaking, and painting. She graduated from UCLA Arts in 2008 and co-founded the company Buena Vista in 2012. In 2022, South Willard in Los Angeles presented an exhibition of her work, which stems from a decade-long engagement with found textiles and materials. Her practice reflects a humble approach to art-making, emphasizing survival and craftsmanship without reliance on press releases. Kaufman's recent weavings address complex histories, such as Young Brothers, a monopolistic shipping company in Hawaii, and connections between the Isleta Pueblo cross and dragonflies. She avoids strict genre frameworks, using materials that circulate aimlessly before being applied with tenderness. Buck Ellison, a conceptual photographer from Los Angeles featured in the 2022 Whitney Biennial in New York, selected Kaufman for the Future Greats 2023 list, noting their friendship since high school and her compassionate influence on his early work. Ellison highlights her commitment to creating standalone works and the perspective she brings from understanding art's long lineage, including references to 500-million-year-old rock formations in Central Park and the 10,000-year history of the Coast Miwok at tamálhúye (Point Reyes).