Chicago artist, Kelly Mathews brings authentic truth, political, and social injustice frustrations to surface through her art. She works in layers of encaustic and large scale image transfers.
Mathews describes encaustic as “painting with beeswax”. She has exhibited at the Zhou B. Art Center, 33 Contemporary Gallery, solo exhibitions, group shows, holds space in private collections, and currently a feature artist at Highland Park Art Center. Mathews grew up in a small town in Iowa and studied film and video at Kansas City Art Institute in the late 1980’s. She professionally competed and showed Arabian horses for 25 years. “The Arabian horse is living art,” said Mathews. She has since retired from showing horses professionally to return to art full time. Mathews artwork raises conversation in social and political injustices. Her recent project “Resist Fear” was a public engagement piece. She used large panels where people wrote down personal fears. The panels then go through a literal and figurative transformation. Mathews took the panel and buried everyone’s fears with black wax writing “Resist Fear”. She pours the letters using encaustic. The raised words jump of the page and into the psyche of the viewer. This project allowed for Mathews to put fear in perspective and release the attachment to fears. “This was probably the biggest growing experience,” said Mathews, “I really got out of my own head and realized the things that control my life, my fear.” She learned about the fears of others getting deported. People shared the fear of losing everything, their home, family, and jobs. This was a humbling and ground breaking experience for all members involved in the “Resist Fear” project. Mathews is a recovering addict and bipolar. She uses these challenges to inspire and excel in her art career. “Art has been the most stable aspect in my life,” said Mathews, “I was not diagnosed with bipolar disorder until my late twenties”. She has recently submitted works to “The Ryan Licht Sang Bipolar Foundation”. Creating art allows for Mathews to see the beauty in challenges. “No matter how ugly that topic may be, there is beauty in the way it is communicated visually,” said Mathews. Mathews continues to allow art speaks volumes in the world of yearning for equality. “All men and women are created equal,” said Mathews, “I find it incredibly frustrating — The social issues. Social injustice or any kind of oppression is very confusing to understand the thought process behind it.” “Art helps me find a way to communicate when words aren’t’ found and people are no longer really listening,” said Mathews. Mathews creates art to exercise frustrations of any kind of oppression in the equanimity of this world. She shares her experience being a part of Art NXT Level, a professional development for artists, as “invaluable”. “Once I retired from training horses professionally, I was going into full time art,” said Mathews, “Since I went to art school in the 80’s, my resources were limited.” “I was looking for an online mentorship platform and found Sergio through Art NXT Level. He has answered and continues to answer any questions I have,” said Mathews, “Sergio and his wife have helped me create a professional artist website using word press, a free platform." “Through joining Art NXT Level, Sergio helped get my first exhibition and continues to help me grow through giving feedback on my work,” said Mathews. Art NXT Level has allowed for Mathews to grow as an artist. “I would not have known where to begin if it was not for joining Art NXT Level,” said Mathews, “Now that I’m getting shows and gaining credibility, dreams come true.” Art has allowed Mathews to break through the political and social injustices adding a whimsical touch of encaustic to share her truths with society. Utilizing the technical qualities of encaustic, half chemistry, half creativity, Mathews continues to grow and evolve as a professional artist in Chicago.
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November 2020
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