Kelly Boehmer has exhibited and performed her work nationally and internationally in over 175 exhibitions, including shows including shows in Baltimore, Dallas, Miami, New York City, New Orleans, Pittsburgh, San Juan, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Gimpo-si, Gyeonggi-do, Korea and Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. She received her BFA in Studio Art at the Maryland Institute College of Art and her MFA in Studio Art at the University of South Florida. She is a member of the performance art band, Glitter Chariot. Kelly is a Professor of Foundations Studies at Savannah College of Art and Design, in Savannah, GA.

Statement:

My soft sculptures display a tragic sense of humor, finding absurd beauty in anxieties and decay. The teeth from upcycled taxidermy and gory visceral imagery are symbolic of emotional vulnerability. Glittery sheer fabrics and saturated faux fur “soften the blow,” making fears easier to confront.

Iconic works from art history, such as the Unicorn Tapestries, Laocoön Group, Lion Hunt of Ashurbanipal, The Arnolfini Portrait, among others, often serve as a starting point for my work. An expressive mark-making is formed from my sewing aggressively by hand. After an exhibition, I reuse my materials by cutting up my old sculptures to make new work, creating a layered history in the materials, similar to pentimenti, the Italian word for “repentance,” which refers to the subtle evidence of corrections in a painting.