James J. Kelewae
Mixed Media Fine Art
please email me with any questions about my work, or to commision a piece
Artist Statement
What’s the point of making a painting which is a nonverbal communication to a sub conscious visual memory/emotional connection, and then explaining it verbally? I can tell you about goals and influence...but that’s not to say how successful or true to those ideas they are or what you'd be getting out of it. Most times my brush wanders off in unexpected movements. And I want...no need...to have that uncertainty. Formula bores me and gives little sense of unique vision. Everything I am living on the outside is formulaic. Inside I am organic, rhythmic, impulsive and reactionary. When movement flows out of automatic unintension l present more of the underexpressed me. Which is discovery and exciting and .nerve wrecking and more like the aspects of life that l feel the strongest about. Don’t want to present a copy of anything. I want spontaneity and playfulness in life and art. It’s a different kind of challenge working through ambiguity than sitting still for fine teething...but still a challenge. I find producing results I'm pleased with, out of the process vastly rewarding. I think it takes more problem solving skills when the answers for your next step aren’t in front of you. When there are no answers. Only forward movements. Sometimes I hear classical music in my head coming from my wrist. Other times free form jazz. Other times spit, snare, boom bap. These thoughts come from the action of painting not vice versa.
CV
Born: Carlisle, PA 1977
Education: School of Visual Arts BFA 2000 (Illustration)
Showings:
It's Yours Take It - Germany 2008
Cafe Ole - Trenton, NJ "Holiday Small Works Show" 2007
Cafe Ole - Trenton, NJ "Art of War" Group Show
Cafe Ole - Trenton, NJ "Garden State Graf" Group Show
Art Crime - Antique, NYC - "Theory Events" 2007
Lounge Zen - Teaneck, NJ 2007 - "Recent Works" Solo Show 2007
Stratasphere - Philidelphia, PA 2006
Gallery 125 – Trenton, NJ 2006
- "Buy Art" 2 Year Anniversary group show
Art in the Park - New Brunswick, NJ 2006
DSU Art Dept - Dickinson, ND 2006
- DSU Art Scholarship Auction
Micro Museum - Brooklyn, NY 2006
- "Open Walls" solo show
Fort Worth Community Arts Center,TX 2005/06
- "Small Works on Paper" group show
Gallery 125 – Trenton, NJ 2005/06
- "My America" group show
Pine - Salt Lake City, UT
-Painting part of permanent collection
Gallery 125 – Trenton, NJ 2005
- "Eye of the Storm" group show
Artocracy.org - 2005
-Digital Art for the masses!
J. David Broudo Gallery of Art - Beverly, MA 2005
-"Fin te shurt art" group show
Chelsea Art Gallery - New York, NY 2005
-"Avant Grande" group show
North Water Gallery – Canal Fulton, OH 2005
-“Unlimited Vision” group show
Warren Starbucks – Warren, NJ 2004
-3 solo shows
North Center Starbucks – Chicago, IL 2002, 2003
-2 solo shows
Art Gallery Kafe – Chicago, IL 2002, 2003
-4 group showings.
-Furniture part of permanent collection.
Around the Coyote, Flat Iron Building – Chicago, IL 2002
Exodus, Kustom – Chicago, IL 2001
Zido’s – New York, NY 2000
School of Visual Arts Student Show 1997
Murals:
Inc. Magazine Headquarters w/ Vicious Stylez Crew - 2007
Raritan River Art Walk - New Brunswick, NJ 2007
Ullyses’s Car Wash – Chicago, IL 2002
Hope World Wide, 131st St. Chicago Public Library, Altgeld Gardens - Chicago, IL 2002
Metro Pet Care – Chicago, IL 2001
Exodus, Kustom – Chicago, IL 2001
Publications:
Pete Carney and Orange Alert CD 2007
Reflections Journal 2006
Aurora Review 2005
Reflections Journal 2005
URB Magazine Globalbeats.com ad 2001
Cyber Groove Productions flyer 2001
CMJ Artist Services logo 2001
School of Visual Arts Illustrators Annual 2000
Scholastic Literacy Place Author Workshop posters 2000
Scholastic Read 180 logo 1999
M. Ruskin Learning Placemats 1999
Henry CD cover 1997
online community
flickr (life on the streets)
albus cavus (new jersey artist collective)
artocracy (art for the masses)
artist rising (prints and originals)
sistino (prints)