Vesper Guthrie

Vesper (Kayla) Guthrie (b. Calgary, 1986) works across sound, performance, writing, and installation. Inspired by a life lived in cities including New York, Vancouver and Montréal, their work is profoundly influenced by marginal art practices and underground music and culture. They approach sound as an embodiment ritual and process of merging intuition with poetic structure.

Guthrie’s practice spans visual art and experimental music, with solo presentations at Wendy’s Subway and Young Art, and group exhibitions at Karma International, Basilica Hudson, Signal, JTT, and Real Fine Arts. They have released recordings through various labels, with press coverage in The Wire and elsewhere.

Their performance work has taken them to the Whitney Museum of American Art, Pioneer Works, and Knockdown Center, as well as venues across North America and Europe. From 2017 to 2018, they hosted “Live Presence” on KNOW WAVE.

Guthrie holds a BFA from Emily Carr University (2007) and has received grants from the BC Arts Council and Canada Council for the Arts. They have published two artist books: Sunsets Working and Book of Shadows.