kírs aoife jay
illustrator | writer | creative
kírs
kɪ́ːs/ kɪəs/ ‘keers’is a transgender and non-binary artist from a little white bungalow in prince edward island, canada. they currently live with their partner among the cherry blossoms of vancouver, british columbia.
their professional illustrative work began in 2012 as a series of daily diaries: single panels drawn every hour over the course of four years. kírs’ visual art practice is primarily focused on the seemingly mundane and often trivialized aspects of human existence. “you fall asleep; a grandmother pinches her grandchild’s finger with a clothespin; you wake up. slipping into sleep; someone soaks that pan in their sink for over a week; you awake and then you sleep.” by actively archiving the monotonous aspects of their daily life, nuance in routine is revealed and temporality is given meaning.
kírs continues their story-telling today through illustration, poetry, and non-fiction writing. their collection of short stories, and personal essays revisit their childhood in atlantic canada and follows their transition to adulthood in the pacific northwest. in conversation with their past and present, kirs’ writing tethers these coastal tides to uncover and resolve the often charming precarity of their identity.
they also adore the company of cats.
