Today we’d like to introduce you to Kerry Campbell.
Hi Kerry, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’m a female abstract artist who opened a gallery and studio space in Cedros Design District in Solana Beach, CA during the midst of Covid in January of 2021. The name of my gallery is Kerry Gallery – I go by my first name. My signature collection, Metaphorical Relationships, adorns homes and businesses throughout the United States and Europe. These artworks focus on inter-relationship and connection through abstract shapes interacting in space within bright color field backgrounds. They bring positive energy and a calming presence to any space. Each of these works includes an accompanying love poem.
I have dreamed of having my own gallery space for years. As an artist, it is often challenging to get exposure for your works. Or, you are dependent on getting into galleries. As a female artists, female artists have long been underrepresented and undervalued in the art industry and market. I’m looking to change that by being a female art entrepreneur! I have a Master’s in Creating Writing and studied studio art in undergraduate school at UC Davis.
In addition, I use my gallery space as a functioning artist studio. People who come to my gallery see and purchase my works but can also view works in progress. Some people come to see their own commissioned piece as it is being created. I love working on commissioned pieces because I get to know the art buyer on a personal level and I know where the artwork will go once finished. It makes it more special!! In addition, I sell my works on various online platforms, including Saatchi and Singulart, which is based out of Paris.
Opening a gallery and having an established body of work has been a journey. It requires courage to get out there and try new things. It also requires being confident in knowing your artworks are valued and appreciated by art collectors. Each sale, gallery show, or exhibition is validation and I continue to build my art portfolio. For example, this year I did my first permanent installation in a business. Six of my paintings adorn the lobby spaces of the Edge Modern Home Apartments in Sacramento, CA. I was a featured artist at the LA Art Show at the Los Angeles Convention Center this year, which included over 100 galleries and 50,000 people in attendance. And, I’m currently working on a commissioned piece that is 108 inches by 72 – the largest I’ve created so far!
My favorite thing about being an artist is how much joy my artwork brings to those who purchase it. It is an investment in something that brings happiness and beauty to people for years to come. I get a lot of feedback on how much people love my artwork in their homes! This always makes me happy too – it brings me great joy to find good homes for my artworks.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Some of the challenges in being an artist are around defining and shaping who you are as an artist, establishing a body of work, and getting sales. It requires patience and time and trial and error. Defining your artist vision requires deep self-discovery work and it requires trying different things until you find your voice and the medium that works best for you. I actually have several bodies of work and different mediums that I use. I have a signature collection of abstract figurative works called Shadow Stories, which are black figures in stark white backgrounds. Very different from my Metaphorical Relationships collection. I also create large scale gestural works. I like to create works in different styles and this provides more options for my art buyers as well. Getting sales is a process in creating a network of art collectors and buyers, as well as getting exposure, which takes time to build. So, I have to learn to be patient with the process and also to learn as I go along what works and what doesn’t.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am known for my Metaphorical Relationships collection. These are iconic one-of-a-kind abstract artworks.
This body of work is bold, bright, and serene abstract artwork that explore love and connection through the inter-relationship between abstract form and space. Iconic shapes inter-play with each other within colorful backgrounds and express stories about relationships – how you cannot have one without the other.
Artworks are paired with a love poem written by the artist that expands on the theme of the work’s title and provides the artist’s interpretation of the story she sees in the artwork. However, all works offer space for multitudes of interpretation, bringing many perspectives that are unique to each art owner.
I created this collection because I wanted to create artworks that are fresh, sophisticated, yet elegant and sparse in their design and look. I wanted to add something zen-like but bold and bright to an otherwise often complicated world.
My process consists of sketching the designs and then applying multiple layers of paint for rich deep color and finishing off the works with a semi-gloss varnish that protects the painting and provides a shimmering effect in various lighting. I often draw inspiration from the natural world, lending a spiritual aura to many of these works. Each work is framed in a custom minimalist Douglas Fir natural wood frame.
These works are made with love and positive energy and bring good energy to any space.
These artworks adorn homes and other spaces throughout the United States and Europe.
I studied studio art at the University of California, Davis and received an MA in Creative Writing at California State University, Sacramento. My gallery and studio space is located in Solana Beach, in Southern California.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
My favorite childhood memory is of playing in the woods. I loved being outside and being with the trees. To this day, one of my favorite things to sketch are trees. This love of the outdoors and woods also comes out in my artworks and my poems, where I tend to draw influences from the natural world.
Contact Info:
- Email: kerry@kerrygallery.com
- Website: www.kerrygallery.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kerryscampbell/
