Kela Robinson

Royal Oak MI

Red Mess
Painting
Artist Statement
I am very interested in people. They never cease to surprise. With any person, there is a lot more than meets the eye. I have a habit of eve-dropping. I am constantly people-watching. Examining the people around me is extremely interesting, humorous, and sometimes downright depressing. Even more interesting than what I actually learn about the many strangers around me, is what they keep hidden. There are so many different aspects to people, it is difficult to tell how well you know anyone, even those closest to you. In my work examine the ideas of anonymity and identity, what people hide and what they allow to be seen. I am a fan of theater, where the act of taking on a completely different persona is a prized skill. Face paint and theatrical costumes completely obscure true identity. I paint portraits and figurative work. I almost exclusively use female models, partly because I am a young woman myself, constantly looking for my own identity. Although the girls in my paintings are made anonymous, the mystery of their identity and state of mind is intriguing. Painting is seductive. Viewers will allow themselves to be fooled into thinking that a flat plane is a real space with weight and dimension. Ir really enjoy that fact, and use it to my advantage in my work. I continue to grow as a painter, and further develop my conceptual ideas with each new piece.
Past DAM Shows/Exhibitions
2012 Scholarship Exhibition CCS