Kayli Cottonwood is an interdisciplinary artist based in Denver, Colorado, whose work bridges the realms of science and art to create a compelling visual language rooted in materiality and process. Graduating with distinction from Metropolitan State University of Denver in 2024 with a BFA in Studio Art and a minor in Entrepreneurship, Kayli’s practice reflects a deep connection to their namesake tree, the cottonwood, which inspires consideration of interconnections between human and non-human life.
Operating within a research-based art practice, Cottonwood explores a variety of materials and techniques to uncover the historical, cultural, and ecological significance of each. Their approach often incorporates innovative methods, blending traditional techniques with contemporary concepts and scientific research to create works that reflect the human experience of natural systems. Through this practice, Cottonwood has developed a visual language in which materiality serves as vocabulary and technique provides structure, while the meditative labor of creation becomes the method through which they tell a story.
Their work has been featured in prominent exhibitions, including Tessellation in Bloom at the Museum of Outdoor Arts, Greenwood Village, CO (2025); The Artist and the Garden at CORE Art Space, Lakewood, CO (2025); Breaking Boundaries at Downtown Aurora Visual Arts (DAVA), Aurora, CO (2025, invited artist); and the BFA Thesis Exhibition at the Center for Visual Arts (CVA), Denver, CO (2024). Internationally, Cottonwood participated in the TASTY Exhibition at Munich Jewelry Week, hosted at ZIRKA Gallery in Germany (2024).