KELLY BOEHMER

I sew soft sculptures that portray a tragic sense of humor, celebrating the hidden beauty I find in anxieties. My creatures are metaphors for anxiety, weight gain, and aging. I find humor in my struggles with social anxiety, and changes in my body, all my attempts to be “comfortable in my own skin”.

While the imagery is often grotesque, the flayed and molting creatures symbolize positive change, growth, and transformation. I use glittery sheer fabrics and vivid faux fur to contrast difficult emotions against inviting textures - softening the rawness in order to make the work more approachable for the viewer. This makes a push/pull between the attraction and repulsion. Iconic works from art history, like the Unicorn Tapestries, Laocoön Group, Lion Hunt of Ashurbanipal, The Arnolfini Portrait, among others, often serve as a starting point for my work. My aggressive hand-sewing, marked by bold red threads, is a deliberate choice similar to an expressive outline used in a drawing. Central to my process is the concept of repurposing materials from my old sculptures, cutting them up after an exhibition. I merge old parts of sculptures with upcycled taxidermy – giving them both a “second life”. Connecting remnants of past works to make new work, creates a layered history within the materials themselves. This is similar to pentimenti, the Italian word for “repentance,” which refers to the subtle evidence of corrections in a painting.

Kelly Boehmer creates soft sculptures and performance artworks. She has exhibited and performed her work nationally and internationally in over 175 exhibitions, including shows including shows in Baltimore, Dallas, Miami, New York City, New Orleans, Pittsburgh, San Juan, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Gimpo-si, Gyeonggi-do, Korea and Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. She received her BFA in Studio Art at the Maryland Institute College of Art and her MFA in Studio Art at the University of South Florida. She is a member of the performance art band, Glitter Chariot.

Kelly is a Professor of Foundations Studies at Savannah College of Art and Design, in Savannah, GA.