Kelly White

Artist Statement: 
Figurative work, especially allegories, nudes, and portraiture, provide me with a challenge to re-capture a mood or impression as a way to soften my own relentless anxiety of time passing. Most recently my work has revolved around mythological and biblical subject matter popular in the late 19th century. I hope to evoke an essence of my favorite artists from the past while putting a contemporary twist on these themes by using a restricted palette, unconventional cropping, and subtle symbolism. The models for several of these images come from antique postcards from the late 19th and early 20th century - many of these same women posed for artists of their day and therefore bring the concept full circle.
Bio / Description: 

I was born in the city of Luanshya in Zambia, Africa to British parents. My family eventually moved from Africa to a tiny town in Eastern Tennessee and after several years we relocated to the suburbs of Chicago. I attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and received my BFA in Graphic Design. In 2002 I received an MFA in Painting and an MA in Art History at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia where I also held the position of Assistant Museum Curator and Collections Manager for the SCAD Museum of Art. I hope to someday pursue a doctorate in Art History where I can continue my research in Spiritualism and American Art during the late 19th century. I am currently the Executive Director of 40 North | 88 West, the Champaign County Arts Council as well as an Art History instructor at Parkland College.Nike Kobe