Meet KT Duffy

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to KT Duffy. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

KT , so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.

Creativity has never been something I’ve had to “keep alive.” I’ve had a constant drive to make things since I was a kid, whether that meant building weird inventions or taking things apart just to see how they worked. That same curiosity drives me now. My ADHD is actually a creative superpower; it propels me into juggling multiple projects at once, and I genuinely thrive in that kind of environment. I get really excited about learning new tools and diving into unfamiliar territory, and I often take on projects specifically because they challenge me to grow. When I’m not creating, I start to feel disconnected and depressed. Making is how I process the world—it’s how I think, how I learn, and how I stay grounded.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I’m a new media artist, educator, and co-founder of Mx. Studio and CQDELab. I work within the Venn diagram of art, technology, and queer futurism. My practice spans experimental video, creative coding, speculative installations, AI, performance, and digital fabrication. What drives me is a deep curiosity about systems -natural, technological, and social – and how their breakdowns and mutations give rise to new possibilities. I’m especially interested in glitch as a conceptual and aesthetic strategy: a site of refusal, queerness, and creative reprogramming.

My work often conjures speculative entities or microcosms, blending body horror, science fiction, Catholic iconography, and biomimicry. These pieces reflect on autonomy, post-humanity, and what it means to live in the in-between. I see art as a way to articulate futures we can’t quite imagine, especially in times of collapse.

One of the most special aspects of my practice is how collaborative and interdisciplinary it is. I’m currently working with ceramicist Jamie Bates and on a body of work that integrates AI-generated visuals into ceramics, queer ritual, and future mythologies.

I teach at the University of Oklahoma, where I lead courses in electronic media, creative coding, and game design. My students are incredible, and I love watching them challenge systems and invent new tools and languages for storytelling.

Ultimately, I’m about radical imagination. Whether I’m building a glitch deity in neon acrylic or designing an app to help artists access AI for creative production, I’m always thinking about how we can bend existing systems toward more inclusive, speculative, and liberatory futures.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

1. Curiosity has always been the engine. As a kid, I was constantly building things out of scraps, breaking objects apart just to figure out how they worked, and obsessing over new tools or materials. That hasn’t changed. Staying curious means I’m always learning the latest softwares, new technologies, new ways of thinking. My advice? Follow what excites you, even if it doesn’t seem “useful” at the time. That strange side quest might become the core of your practice.

2. Adaptability came naturally (and was also shaped by necessity). My ADHD means I rarely do just one thing at a time, I have multiple projects in orbit, all evolving in unexpected ways. Instead of fighting that, I’ve learned to harness it. Being adaptable allows you to pivot, remix, and make something beautiful out of chaos. My advice to emerging creatives: don’t cling too tightly to what you think your work should look like. Let the process transform it. It’s ok to shift the meaning and concept once something materializes.

3. Embracing failure has been key. Some of my best works started as mistakes or technical glitches. I’ve learned to treat failure as a collaborator or invitation to rethink, rebuild, or redirect. Especially in art and tech, things will absolutely 1000% go wrong. That’s not a flaw, it’s part of the magic. My advice is to get comfortable being uncomfortable, and stay in that space no matter how much you progress and grow. Share the messy parts and the shitshows! They often hold more truth than perfection ever could.

Ultimately, your path won’t look like anyone else’s. Stay open, stay weird, and trust your instincts, because literally no one knows what they’re doing.

What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?

I now have these things called boundaries and practice this wild new wave thing called self-care.

In my younger years, I kinda burnt myself into the ground trying to be everything to everybody, trying to prove my worth through my unpaid labor, and trying to get all of the residencies, shows, accolades, etc.

Over the past year, I’ve been particularly conscious of what people might call my mistakes (I don’t believe in mistakes), leading up to this point in my career. But rather than coping with these in unhealthy ways like working harder and taking on more things, now I chill, and use my mistakes as teachers that encourage me on my way to developing a healthier and happier life.

The cool part is that all the focus and changes are actually part of my artistic practice. I don’t believe that artists ever stop being artists. Filling yourself up and taking care of your community are essential practices for any artist seeking longevity in their career.

Contact Info:

• Website: ktduffy,art
• Instagram: ktduffyincorporated
• Youtube: @ktduffy7049