Paige King (b. 2004) a filmmaker and artist based in Chicago, IL. She currently pursuing a BA in Studio Art at School of The Art Institute of Chicago. Paige’s practice uses visual media to explore the internal struggles and the external family dynamics of children and young adults, specifically in young girls. The work focuses on adultification, depression, and belonging. How does one move on from the dynamics of the past and who are they now because of that? I explore sibling relationship, one’s relationship with their Mother, one’s relationship with their father, and the intersection of race and adultification.
Honor Thy Father, 2025, 24 x 36, Photo by Kristina Nsuangani
Photo series for the short film "Honor Thy Father"
Dream Train, 2023, 16mm Film, Shot by Paige King and Xiaohuan Han
Dream Train is an experimental narrative about a young girl’s dream of belonging on a train. The 16mm footage combined with the voice over to portray the internal struggle of wanting to belong and dealing with depression. A young girl wishes to find a place within the world to fully belong. Only to find an imaginary place that lives within the comfort of traveling from place to place.
Honor Thy Father Print Series, Untitled, 2025, print, 4in x 6in
Honor Thy Father, 2025, Short Film
At the opening premiere of Iris’ Honor Thy Father exhibition, Mike, Iris’ father, suddenly shows up forcing Iris to pick between following in her father’s footsteps or creating her own path.
I often use digital cinema cameras to create videos for my work. I pull inspiration from Cheyenne Lin’s video essay Girlhood Disrupted: The Pseudo-Maturity of Traumatized Girls in FIlm and Khadija Mbowe’s video essay Are “Black girls less innocent”? Adultification explained. These videos inspire me to explore girlhood and deconstruct the trauma that comes with it.