Artist Kellesimone Waits is a curious intellect and compassionate painter. Even in her darker subjects there is warmth, and at least a tinge of her good-natured humor. The versatility and range of styles and mediums in her work reflect an authentic openness to the process of discovery. The results bear distinction from one series to the next, with the common thread being found in her genuine humanist perspective.
Born in Los Angeles, California, Kellesimone moved around for years with her family, once living in Manhattan’s iconic Chelsea hotel for a bit, before finally settling in the Northern California Bay area. A voracious reader growing up, her art is heavily influenced by literary sources; children’s books, comics, poetry, newspapers and magazines, and by the places and people she’s met along the way. As a result, her works are a blend of myths, dreams, and snapshots from life – a kind of psychological journalism.
The whimsical and often casual look of Kellesimone’s paintings and drawings belie the hours of research that go into each. A consummate collector of images and articles, she gives ideas great or small their opportunity to bloom. She somehow manages to protect the impulse of that initial spark, carrying it through to the final piece. The reasoning is simple, and indicative of an artist of such sensitivity.
Feverishly productive for an artist not yet in her 30’s, already she has accomplished a staggering amount of work that has shown internationally and sold in galleries such as Fuse Gallery in NYC, Known Gallery in LA, Perihelion Arts in Phoenix, and in Miami during Art Basel at Aqua10 and with 101/exhibit at SCOPE.