Artist: Katie Kehoe

Project: “Time is of the Essence”

Description: Inspired by the growing threat of wildfires, Katie began creating wildfire shelters as speculative survival architecture in 2023. Taking inspiration from fire shelters used by wildland firefighters, she designed and constructed five portable wildfire shelters for people, six wildfire shelters for small animals, and one large wildfire shelter as a semi-permanent living space. These structures are symbolic as sculptural objects that appear to offer protection from flame, heat, and smoke exposure. After creating the shelters, she carries out temporary site-specific installations, installing them in areas struck by historic wildfire, such as Santa Fe National Forest, or areas at increasing risk of wildfire, such as Cape Breton, CAN, where she was raised. She documents her installations with still photography. Katie’s intention is for this work to function both as a warning and a possibility for a world in which art and design are crucial tools for adaptation and survival.