Tear Gas Jungle Painting

Lisa Kelly is a young emerging Irish artist. Graduated with a BA Honours Degree in Fine Art at Liverpool Hope University. Currently living and working in Derry, N.I. A dialogue between painting and photography and the theme of portraiture informs the work. The use of paint is expressive and whilst the image has its origins within the photograph, an attempt is made to move beyond the strictly illustrative through the use of colour and expressionistic mark-making. The portrait paintings offer a counterweight to the ‘selfie culture’, depicting the depth of personality and contradicting the shelter provided by the filtered ‘selfie’. In doing so, the artist embraces failure, anger, loneliness and feelings of insecurity, portraying them as the norm, and even as positive in some cases if channeled appropriately.