Kitty Ca$h is stepping into a new lane. The DJ and producer best known for working with artists across music genres like Rico Nasty, 6lack, Kiana Lede, and Denzel Curry recently released her electronic EP, Handle With Care, in collaboration with New York gallerist Hannah Traore, adding an interactive, in-person component to the launch.
“The work took a lot of different forms until I got to this space of these, these mini collection boxes,” Ca$h shares with ESSENCE. “It was really like, what do I do to process my own emotions? And how has music been healing for me? And how have I taken this radical approach to accountability for my love for myself, how I came about saying, like, Okay, I actually think I can make this in a larger scale form because if I have these feelings constantly, I am working on myself every day. I’m sure other people have these same questions within themselves. Which is how I can take responsibility for handling myself with the amount of care that I always ask other people to have for me.”
In a secluded section of the Hannah Traore Gallery, tucked away in NYC’s bustling Lower East Side, Ca$h and Traore drew inspiration from a ceremonial mailroom to invite participants to share their feelings, deepest desires, and personal hopes. Opposite a row of mailboxes, two sets of headphones, a pen, and branded paper featuring the Handle With Care logo encouraged visitors to listen to Kitty’s soothing sounds while reflecting and writing their thoughts. Guests were then invited to “send” these expressions as “emotional mail” by placing their sheets in one of the mailboxes.
“If it were a candle you wouldn’t be able to see directly through it,” the Los Angeles-based entertainer says. “So I wanted to offer people a sense of privacy, and if you were to open it, you could see it. I wouldn’t, but a lot of people did. Are people going to respect privacy, or are they all looking for confirmation that someone else is going through the same thing? How honest is the other person? Am I truly being honest?”
Ca$h and Traore joined forces to push the boundaries of art and exhibitions by breaking the fourth wall, inviting viewers to interpret the work differently. For many, art spaces can feel intimidating, especially for those who don’t regularly engage with art. Creating a space where people can be vulnerable and actively participate makes the exhibition more accessible and dynamic, as the artwork takes on new forms through each viewer’s interaction. In the exhibit, some cards face outward; some are turned inward, each with unique handwriting and varying numbers in each mailbox, offering a fresh experience every time someone steps inside.
As she ushers in her visual art debut with the help of curator and gallerist Hannah Traore, it is important to note that Ca$h’s work serves as a public diary for people and encourages introspective thinking while also being a form of research for the artist. As a DJ, she crowdsources quite often, so in doing this, she sees what works and what doesn’t with the hopes of bringing it to other institutions and cities.
“We have to continue these conversations in spaces where people can actually receive them,” Ca$h explains. “This is a point that reinforced my own confidence, as is my own artistic vision, for which I am super thankful. There will be a part two, Honey. We are not stopping here.”
