An Immersive Underwater Journey by KTNA Opens in Seattle

SEATTLE, WA — The Kelp Forest invites audiences into an immersive underwater world where mythology, memory, music, and ancestral storytelling converge. Created by Seattle-based artist, producer, and educator KTNA (Katana Sol), the exhibition serves as an offering to Yemaya, Oshun, Octavia Butler, Virginia Hamilton, Drexciya, and Black and Indigenous peoples across the global diaspora.

Through large-scale visual artwork, original soundscapes, and narrative worldbuilding, The Kelp Forest explores the depths of cultural memory and the possibilities of imagined futures beneath the sea. The exhibition draws inspiration from Afrofuturism, Indigenous storytelling traditions, oceanic ecosystems, folklore, and speculative fiction to create a space for reflection, wonder, and transformation.

Visitors are invited to experience an original musical score composed by KTNA, blending influences from Hip Hop, Electronica, Spoken Word, and Experimental music. The soundscape serves as a living current throughout the installation, guiding audiences through an underwater realm filled with stories, myths, and legends.

"There are stories, truths, and legends from where we began," says KTNA. "The Kelp Forest is an invitation to remember them, reimagine them, and carry them forward."

Developed over the course of three years, the exhibition reflects KTNA's ongoing artistic practice through Entangled Oceans, a multidisciplinary creative studio focused on storytelling, design, education, and community-centered art experiences.

About the Artist

KTNA (Katana Sol) is a Seattle-based artist, producer, educator, and founder of Entangled Oceans. Working across painting, music, installation, performance, and design, their practice centers storytelling as a tool for healing, cultural preservation, and collective imagination. Their work explores the intersections of Black futurism, Indigenous knowledge systems, ecology, and community engagement.