Jade Kuriki Olivo Reveals Identity and Artistic Evolution as Puppies Puppies

Jade Kuriki Olivo, the artist behind the pseudonym Puppies Puppies, has publicly emerged after years of anonymity, coinciding with her gender transition. Initially encountered through online works blending pop culture icons like Voldemort and SpongeBob with mundane objects, Olivo's practice has evolved to address themes of health, identity, and collaboration. In 2019, she presented exhibitions at Halle für Kunst in Lüneberg on the bubonic plague and at Remai Modern in Saskatoon featuring her blood, with HIV testing offered. A 2018 show at What Pipeline in Detroit explored the death of her former identity, Andrew D. Olivo. Collaborations include a 2018 project at Galerie Barbara Weiss in Berlin with friend Cielo Oscuro, documenting their hormone therapy and screening Sebastián Lelio's film 'A Fantastic Woman', starring Daniela Vega. Olivo's move from Los Angeles to New York followed a divorce, and she has undergone hormone replacement therapy for two years after a brain tumor surgery in 2010, which affected her language skills. Recent nude performances document her bodily changes, and she cites influences like Trisha Donnelly and Lutz Bacher. The artist's tattoos include 'JADE' on her knuckles and 'ssoorrry', inked by friend Siera Hyte. This profile is based on a reconstructed interview from memory after a recording failure, published in the January & February 2020 issue of ArtReview.