Artist Statement
Kelly Crosby is a multi-disciplinary artist living in Atlanta, Georgia. Born and raised in New Orleans, she pursued her artistic education at the University of New Orleans. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in fine arts and her master’s degree in arts administration (2002, 2007). She has exhibited her work throughout the United States and other parts of the world, such as Canada and the United Arab Emirates. While currently pursuing a career in art education and arts administration, Kelly continues to create her work at her home studio.
Kelly Crosby’s artwork is known for being bright, bold and full of life. She says, “I love color! I’m addicted to it. There is nothing more expressive and emotional than color.” Whether she is painting a work inspired by the arabesque or a landscape of Creole cottages from New Orleans, she infuses her work with warmth and fun. Her work is a reflection of many aspects of her personality and experiences, particularly her love of Arabic, African and Islamic art, her global travels and her love of mixed-media art.
Finding her home in many artistic disciplines, she creates landscapes, hand-painted glass works, hand-painted decorative boxes, floral paintings and still lives, abstract works, mixed media art and stylized Arabic calligraphy. She says, “The act of making art is not just a creative exercise. It is also an act of worship, as God loves it when we bring beauty into the world.” Upon viewing Kelly’s art, the viewer is given a sense of harmony, along with some whimsy and humor. Her natural, curved line patterns and repetitive motifs create a sense of continuity and balance. She is currently working on a series of mixed media works entitled Afro-Abstractions. These works are a mixture of two dimensional and three-dimensional surfaces. They are inspired by the artist’s own personal love of color and the textile patterns of West African clothing.