How do you use soil? Have you ever used earth or soil to make art? Get to know Kiyan Williams (b. 1991), an American artist from Newark, New Jersey. Williams is a multidisciplinary artist, meaning they make art in many ways. They sculpt, perform, make videos, and so much more! They often use symbolic materials in their artmaking. Soil is one of the symbolic materials Williams uses most often. (Wondering why we used “they” for Kiyan Williams? Learn more about gender pronouns here.)

Get to Know Kiyan Williams was originally created as part of the Hirshhorn KIDS About the Artist series and has been updated for Hirshhorn Teens. Modern and contemporary artists' lives reflect recent human history ​and events. Sharing these life stories and artworks can help young people see their own potential and better understand the world and their place in it. It is our goal to inspire young people to leverage the power of art as a tool for communication, self-identity, and community empowerment, and as a way to address the critical issues of our times—sharing artists' stories is one way Hirshhorn Teens realizes this goal.

Use it in the classroom to teach:

Art classroom: Process

Language Arts classroom: Biography

Social Studies classroom: Jamestown, Race in the United States