Jake Kelly is fascinated by the simple act of making a line. The foundation of our shared human culture from ancient cave paintings to 3D printing can be traced fundamentally to lines. Kelly calls upon the significance and history of lines as the foundation of his practice. His work manifests sculpturally through the use of humble materials such as string and wood. The use of democratized materials is significant as a statement for the accessibility of art for everyone. Kelly has appropriated these materials for the development of his own intuitive technique with a decade's worth of refinement creating intricate networks of string and paint. Kelly was initially trained as a painter. Over the years he became increasingly preoccupied with the sculptural deconstruction of the painting until the works were no longer recognizable as paintings but as explorations of networks he refers to as constructions.
(P)REVIEW III
Art Rotterdam - Sculpture Park
The Luxury of Inefficiency
(P)REVIEW II
Hidden Labour
Jake Kelly, an artist based in Rotterdam, is excited to present “Hidden Labour,” a group exhibition at Paviljoen aan het Water, marking his first residency and curatorial project. This unique show brings together the talents of artists and friends Lucy Havel, Astera Mortezai, Nicolas Manenti, Vince Blok, Silvia Bolognesi, Selena Gavala, and Max Jacobs.
Rotterdam Presents!
This is a fantasy
Why do we often deceive ourselves rather than face reality in our modern world? This is a fantasy. Jake Kelly delves into our societal and individual
cognitive dissonance on issues such as pseudo-sustainability, responsibility, and value. His sculptures and installations, crafted from rope
and repurposed materials, make profound aesthetic statements about the value of art. Using democratized materials like cheap rope and found objects,
Kelly transforms waste into intricate woven structures,
(P)REVIEW I
Welcome to (P)REVIEW I, an exhibition to spark your imagination and challenge you to explore the similarities and differences between the diverse works brought together in this internationally curated presentation.
When you enter the gallery, you will encounter a diverse collection of carefully selected artworks. Each work, whether by a gallery-represented artist or a guest artist, has its own story and style and invites you to come and explore.
Sensory / Receptor
Kelly's project at Neck of The Woods was inspired by his participation in the group exhibition 'Sustaining Small Acts' at TENT in 2023. Kelly approaches art as a means to promote social interactions and increase public engagement. His project, with an emphasis on quality interactions, created an intimate atmosphere in which each participant played a substantial role. The work remained publicly accessible for several months after completion, ensuring a lasting impact.
Sustaining Small Acts
The artists in Sustaining Small Acts develop their work from the connection with their physical environment. Their work often springs from what they find close to home, in the material of their daily surroundings: their own household waste, the weeds in the city, the ground under our feet. This everyday material is entwined with fundamental questions. Questions about humans as the only animals that foul their own nest, with planetary consequences.
Wild Summer Of Art Part II
Group exhibition. Photography by Donia Refino
Art Rotterdam
Solo exhibition / presentation
Part III
group exhibition
Discovery Art Fair
Art fair / Group exhibition represented by Chrysalid Gallery
Rotterdam Art Week
Group exhibition. Photography by Roza Schous
Reticulum
Jake Kelly has a passion and a dedication for ordinary and repurposed materials that he transforms into big-scale installations and complex artworks. Therefore, a simple 3mm jute string takes the shape of an organic sculpture that has many tendrils wrapping around the walls and stretches its long body in one direction, finally anchoring itself to the floor and becoming a living part of the space. It is impossible to ignore it and the observer has to adjust themselves to its presence.
Big Art
Art fair / Solo exhibition represented by Chrysalid Gallery
#984
Curator: Yvonne de Jong
In Suspense
The installation by both artists could be seen through the enormous windows of Kunstruimte Crooswijk. All works were made on location and the production process could be followed through the same windows, giving the 'work' both a performative character and leading to an installation. The works created here inspired Jake Kelly to create a new sculpture that he later showed at Big Art. Donald Schenkel experimented with acrylic and airbrush to create a series of floating vo
Showbox #9
Jake Kelly and Donald Schenkel created an installation of networked string and a reflective mural. In this process both artists contributed towards each other's individual practices via persistent challenges aimed at encouraging experimentation. Through the collaboration they transformed Kelly's two-dimensional constructions into a room sized installation, using the entirety of the space as its frame. Simultaneously they pushed Schenkel's oil painted objects into a mural that is highly pigmented
FORM
Group Exhibition
Free Range
Group Exhibition