Next Big Things: Koak

The San Francisco artist's feminine figures are taking the art world by storm

Person in green coat seated in front of a black and white abstract mural.
Koak Photo: MARIA KANEVSKAYA, COURTESY OF THE ARTIST AND ALTMAN SIEGEL, SAN FRANCISCO

Although the work of San Francisco–based Koak may be influenced by comics, her vision brings a depth and beauty that go far beyond fanboy fodder. Her moody lines swirl and sway until they reveal a woman’s voluptuous figure. Sometimes vulnerable, other times flirtatious, her painting style conjures emotion through seemingly simple strokes that compel one to linger. 

Woman in a green coat sitting on a chair in front of a mural with white abstract figures, plant on the floor nearby.
Koak Photo: MARIA KANEVSKAYA, COURTESY OF THE ARTIST AND ALTMAN SIEGEL, SAN FRANCISCO

Personal style: “My work stems from a desire to examine human interactions and connections,” she says.

Up next: Following last March’s “Return to Feeling” exhibition at Altman Siegel in San Francisco, Koak’s work is on display in “100 Drawings from Now” at the Drawing Center in New York through January 17, 2021. She’s also planning a small solo presentation in early 2021 and will be included in a group exhibit at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive. 

Wooden partition with abstract line drawings on pink backgrounds, arranged in a stepped pattern against a white wall.
Modesty, 2018 Photo: COURTESY OF THE ARTIST AND ALTMAN SIEGEL, SAN FRANCISCO
Art installation featuring abstract line drawings on pink backgrounds within a wooden frame structure.
Modesty, 2018 (detail) Photo: COURTESY OF THE ARTIST AND ALTMAN SIEGEL, SAN FRANCISCO

“The women in Koak’s paintings transmit to me different states of emotion. They are fun and playful, and at the same time very deep.”

Zélika García, founder, Zona Maco

Abstract artwork of a person pointing at a white object with a birdcage and flowers in a vibrant blue background.
My Ritual, 2020 Photo: MARIA KANEVSKAYA, COURTESY OF THE ARTIST AND ALTMAN SIEGEL, SAN FRANCISCO
Drawing of a mother sitting on a bed breastfeeding her baby with a teddy bear on a nightstand in the background.
Axis, 2020 Photo: COURTESY OF THE ARTIST AND ALTMAN SIEGEL, SAN FRANCISCO

A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2020 Winter Issue under the headline “Next Big Things.” Subscribe to the magazine.