Contempo is here! This week we introduce Kelly-Anne Love

Each week this August KAB Gallery will introduce a new Australian artist’s work for you to view and purchase as part of our annual Contempo at KAB exhibition. Each of the four artists are very different to the next with amazing contrasts in their style, technique, and subject matter.

Kelly-Anne Love is a contemporary Australian artist admired for her radical use of primarily watercolours, splashed and dripped onto the paper. While some may think this ultra modern style is reasonably straightfoward, the artist’s mastery of the painted medium to differentiate each layered colour is what elevates Kelly-Anne Love’s artworks to a new level.

“My medium of choice is watercolour and ink as I love the way the colours move on the paper its
like it has a mind of its on and you are just helping guide it to the right place”

KAB Gallery are excited to welcome Kelly-Anne Love as this years first Contempo at KAB artist. Join us at KAB Gallery and online to view a selection of original artworks by Kelly-Anne Love featured for exhibition 1st – 6th August 2018

Kelly-Anne is primarily a studio artist who aims to create works as often as possible. Her studio is fitted out with a custom architect-style desk which provides the ability to work sitting or standing. The desk is also perfectly tilted to provide gravity’s help in creating her desired drip effect. For oversized artworks Kelly-Anne works from her hand made purpose built easel with sturdy wood and clamps. Angled workstations are key to Kelly-Anne’s method – she works to control the drips and define her illustration with them.

“I love including drips and splats as I feel many artists can create perfect images (as I can too), but I liked the idea that as in life it’s the imperfections that make us unique. I include them to capture that feeling of movement and the idea that art can contain little imperfections but still be beautiful.”

“While I paint my whales or birds it is a conscious decision to allow certain parts to drip and move, and other parts to be contained.
I find it a perfect balance of freedom and restraint that reflects elements of who I am as a person in life”

Kelly-Anne Love’s most recent body of work has been inspired by her passion and dedication to highlighting critically endangered Australian species of animals. The famous series launch was hosted by The Australian Reptile Park, where Kelly-Anne was the first artist to ever exhibit. She also donated the 8 piece “Endangered” series to the conservation group DEVIL ARK for their GALA night. By the end of this landmark exhibition the entire series of artworks were a sell-out, raising over $5,000 for the cause alone.

“My connection to the subjects can be different but is usually influenced by an emotional inclination, a story I may have inspired me or direct contact with my subject. Artworks such as the Australian Endangered Animals series are borne not only from my genuine connection with Australia’s most unique and beautiful species which I hope to inspire the viewer to fall in love with, but also a desire to use my voice as an artist to highlight the plight of these animals.”

This isn’t her only significant career highlight to date. In 2015 Kelly-Anne Love had the unique opportunity of seeing her reimagining of the iconic Redheads Matchbox design featured on matchboxes throughout Australia. Kelly-Anne says that the Redheads project happened by chance, explaining “I often have people send me links to art prizes or random competitions they feel my artworks should be part of. A client named Carol sent me the link to the Redheads Matchbox cover comp and quite seriously I didn’t give it a second thought. But the theme was The Perfect Match so I was suddenly struck with an idea to give Miss Redheads a boyfriend. Not just any boyfriend, one that was really cool with long hair, rugged beard, tattooed etc. I’m unsure if we have ever seen her with a man and that’s what I think made it so unique she found someone who was her perfect match that she could share the box equally with.”

This original piece of Redheads history is now showing for the first time at KAB Gallery – it will only be available to view this week so make sure you visit.

Other career highlights for Kelly-Anne Love include featuring artwork on Six Strings Brewing can labels (not once but twice!), receiving “2^nd art prize and peoples choice” in the Yellow Board Prize, featuring on various music album covers, as well as being a regular finalist of established art prizes such as Gosford Artprize, Hunters Hill and XI FIP world polo art prize.

KAB Gallery is both proud and excited to exhibit 11 of Kelly-Anne’s wonderfully modern artworks in the first week of Comtempo at KAB. The varied subject matters of her exhibition works include whales, sea dragons, blue bottles, cockatoos, several pieces inspired by her Redheads experiences – and as noted the famous Redheads piece itself.

About the author

Kerry-Anne Blanket

Director & Curator - KAB Gallery

KAB Gallery’s Kerry-Anne Blanket holds a Bachelor of Visual Arts and two Masters degrees (Hons) from the University of Sydney. With an extensive career in art education along with the management of museums and investment art galleries, Kerry-Anne can offer premier art consulting to her clients and source specially requested works. 

She has a keen eye for detail, comprehensive art market knowledge and a love of all things beautiful. Kerry-Anne works directly with artists and collectors alike to curate interesting and eclectic exhibitions.