Em Kettner

Em Kettner (b. 1988, Philadelphia, PA) is an artist and writer based in Richmond, CA. Her celebratory, figurative sculptures and drawings on tile subvert stereotypes by portraying disabled bodies in a range of humorous, erotic, and powerful postures. Centered around themes of intimacy and interdependence, Kettner’s meticulously crafted works feature intricate cotton weavings, expertly sculpted porcelain bodies, and hand-carved wooden supports.

Recent solo exhibitions include François Ghebaly, New York (2024), Los Angeles (2022, 2021); Chapter, New York (2022); Specialist, Seattle (2022); Goldfinch, Chicago (2020); and Harpy, Rutherford (2018). She’s participated in two-person and group exhibitions at F2T Gallery, Milan, Italy (2025); Pangée, Montreal, Canada (2025); Pipeline, London, UK (2024); Outer Space, Concord, NH (2024); the MFA, Boston, MA (2023); Candice Madey, New York, NY (2022); and Et al. Gallery, San Francisco, CA (2025, 2022); among others. Her work is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA; the Ohana Center, Monterey, CA; the DePaul Art Museum and The Joan Flasch Artists’ Book Collection, both Chicago, IL.

In 2023, Fulcrum Arts produced her interactive digital storybook, Doctor, Doctor, an illustrated journey through history, myth, and patient-hood. She is the recipient of the Wynn Newhouse Award, the MIUSA Women’s Institute on Leadership and Disability, and an SAIC Teaching Fellowship. Kettner earned her BFA from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, and an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.