Artist Statement

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I make sense of the world through my words, my intuition and my imagination. Put another way, I survive because I can speak, feel and dream.  I want my work to invite others to think, feel, and dream.  My identity was first fed to me by television, books, and my family, in that order. I marinated in a stew of external identifiers with varying degrees of alignment with who I truly was. Reckoning with those identities put me in a constant state of destabilization, longing, and self-loathing, yearning for love, belonging and acceptance. Consequently, I developed a peculiar and fluid relationship with reality; that relationship informs what I believe is possible, in my writing and in life. I practice expansive interpretations and understandings of truth and beauty. My work partners with subject, text, and time to convey the varied and stunning truths of Black humanity. 

 

I am a poet and mixed media artist, who came to art out of necessity, a very primal attempt to stay grounded, stay present and fight mind monsters. My work is a dance with the ghosts of my pasts, and their impacts on my life. When I dismantle materials and reconfigure them, I know that I am conducting the time-honored tradition of so many other women, who gather the bits of refuse the world has left them, weaving them into a tapestry of survival designed to feed our babies and sustain our sanity.

 

My work is the unfolding of my voice, bearing witness to

the possibility of life after self-loathing.

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Where to Explore/Buy

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You can explore Kellie's art below. Email her at kelliepatrice@gmail.com if interested in purchasing work. Subscribe below to receive updates and invitations to attend upcoming pop ups and exhibits. 

 

     Kellie is available for artist’s talks, workshops, readings,

and commissioned work. Contact her via email here.

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