Kelly Niceley

Lives and works in Bronx, NY

Artist statement

I make paintings, sculptures, collages, and digital video—drawn to materials the way I am drawn to people: with curiosity about what they hold and what they conceal. Dealing with the edge of living—the anxiety, trauma, and fear—tempered by the parts that make life worth it—love, touch, and excitement—informs the colors and shapes that come to me. I describe events using imagery; once I realize what event is being described, the piece starts to take shape. My recurring inquiries circle questions of invisibility and confrontation, what inhabits empty space, what persists in the margins and the shadows. In recent years, I have turned toward my own ancestry as a generative starting point for reimagining these themes—exploring lineage, grief, and the sacred through form. The work is always about identity, often injustice, sometimes optimism. Fundamentally, these pieces focus on joy, pain, and rage. Through memorial and celebration, my goal is to elevate the oppressed and marginalized—creating an increased sense of honor, power, and safety. I do this to achieve a greater sense of peace in myself, and hopefully in the viewer.

Artwork