Jasper Kelly
Jasper Kelly is an emerging Australian multi-disciplinary artist currently based out of Hobart. Previously Studying at Sydney College of the Arts, he is now completing his BFA at through UTAS in Hobart and relishing in the tightknit unique creative sanctuary that is Tasmania.
His practice is both unique and highly distinguishable created through his kaleidoscopic pallet, signature characters and silly themes often referencing Australian culture and symbols with a humorous energy. A self-confessed colour junky, Jasper’s works grab the eye through his wild array of colour and playful content inspired by psychedelic music, pop culture and his ties with the surf and skate furnace he was forged within, that at the least, make him laugh. Characters and symbols run throughout his practice as a homage to mundane or crucial moments in the artists life. Chickens meet feet in outback back settings, Hairy legged plants dance around canvases and chubby native Australian bestiaries hide within geometric compositions.
At the core of Kelly’s practice is a strong engagement with pen to paper drawing and doodling that is then digitally processed and resolved into prints or large-scale murals. Majoring in printmaking (screen-printing), a clear connection between his murals and prints can be seen informing one another in aesthetics and process. Big blocks of colour layer atop one another, set beneath a bold outline that leads the eye in, out and around the image, creating attention grabbing artworks that entice the eye to look deeper. More recently Kelly has been exploring the area outside of controlled perfect lines and experimenting with loose, erratic mark making and the gestural line, focusing on still life, nudes and landscapes seeking to offer a different skillset whilst maintain a connection through his explosive colour palette.
