Lisa Kellner

Lisa was born in Virginia and raised in Australia, Jamaica and the United States. As a child she traveled regularly and was exposed to many different cultures and environments. In her youth she discovered a deep love for the outdoors and drawing as a way to make sense of her environment.

Lisa Kellner’s Career

Lisa's paintings and sculptural constructions have been exhibited throughout the United States and internationally. In 2006, her work was curated into the Conversions exhibition in DC, curated by Sam Gilliam. Her work can be found in private residences and commercial spaces in the United States, Europe and Japan. Kellner's work has been reviewed and mentioned in publications including The New York Times, The Boston Globe and Sculpture Magazine. in addition to several podcast and interview series. She has received several awards including the New Media Invitational from the Target Gallery, DC and was a Joan Mitchell Emerging Artist semi-finalist in 2016. A former New Yorker with roots in Virginia, Lisa lives and works on Deer Isle in coastal Maine. She travels, hikes and kayaks to explore notions of place and how we occupy space.

Practice

Her paintings and constructions are developed through an intuitive, process-based practice. By deeply immersing herself in the landscape, she takes her cues from nature’s ability to organise chaos. Her work navigates the space between the physicality of living and the personal journey of the self.

She uses a system of layering, scraping, sanding and submersion to slowly build each piece, excavating the surface as she goes. This approach allows the subconscious to find its way into the work. Marks, shapes, lines and colour are added and removed, creating a balance between chaos and calm, chance and intention.

A blending occurs between the simplicity of form and the complex nature of thought, bringing the resulting work to its essence.