Heidi Kumao gives a 30-minute talk followed by Q & A.

The power of animation and figurative (robotic, mechanical) art lies in their accessibility to the general public. Animation and tabletop puppet tableaus are viewed as approachable, non-threatening art forms associated with children. Audiences are often more receptive to content delivered in these forms, and this expectation provides artists with the perfect foil to communicate politically relevant, psychologically complex, and feminist narratives. This talk will focus on creative art projects that translate the intangible cognitive processes underlying ordinary human interactions into accessible and poetic visual narratives. These robotic and mechanical sculptures, experimental animations, and installations give physical form to emotion, memory, and relationship dynamics while challenging viewers to rethink the vocabulary used to tell these personal stories. The use of hybrid media art forms and a research-based art practice are integral to the art process that will also be discussed.