Check out Kerra Taylor’s Artwork

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kerra Taylor.

Kerra, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
Kerra Taylor (b. 1985, Overland Park, KS). I received my BFA and minor in art history from Missouri State University in 2012. I earned my MFA in painting from Southern Illinois University Carbondale in 2016.

I have exhibited my work in juried shows such as “Pushing Paint (Oil &Acrylic)” at The National Association of Women Artists Gallery in New York and the “No Dead Artists” at Jonathan Ferrara Gallery in New Orleans, where I have been awarded a solo show. Dr. Samuel Peralta curated my artwork into “Chronicles of a Future Foretold” exhibition at 33 Contemporary Gallery in Chicago. I have been published in New American Paintings MFA editions #117 and #129. I have also been featured in several PoetsArtists publications and online exclusives on Artsy via Zhou B Art Center. Two of my paintings are in the 21 C Museum Hotels collection, and several are in private collections.

I currently teach beginning and intermediate drawing courses at Missouri State University.

We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
I am currently working on two bodies of work that depict figurative narratives with my family and of self-portraits. I primarily paint in oils on canvas and wood panel. Painting for me is very meditative. I am intrigued by how one can manipulate a medium and light to create the illusion of space.

In my larger series, I playfully fabricate memories with my spouse, parents, siblings, and in-laws, as I fill in the holes caused by the loss of stories. I take into consideration the various personalities, quirks, and typical environments that my relatives and I live in. My paintings are embellishments of personal experiences with family. By putting them in these normal settings with such unusual circumstances, I create my own stories, both familiar and fantastic at the same time. It is in these extraordinary situations that we find the stories that are more worth telling. For every person, for every story, their interpretation of the scene will be unique. In this manner, I allow room for the viewer to enter into my paintings and complete the stories with their own past experiences.

I create these paintings by first taking photos of my family and then editing the photos in Photoshop. I often add in props and change the backgrounds in the original photos and then I paint from the photos.

However, in my smaller, self-portrait paintings with the skeleton, they are more intimate. I am interested in exploring the human condition. I am more interested in the soul and our anatomical complexity. When you strip away the flesh, we are but skeletons. Without the soul, we do not exist but are mere scientific remnants of ourselves. I feel that these paintings are very personal and raw. For me, not only have I feared death, but I have carried around depression on my shoulders for years. I fear to get old. I feel many viewers can relate to this feeling.

How can artists connect with other artists?
I recommend joining a professional organization that fits your style of art. There are also many local arts councils you could join. I belong to Poets and Artists. Their website can be found online. The accepted work in that group is typically figurative, but the organization offers many publications and show opportunities for both nationally and internationally. There, I have connected with so many artists on Facebook and Instagram. I feel so lucky to be a part of the group because the artists are so supportive and encouraging to keep making art and pushing oneself harder to be a better painter. Also, joining Instagram has also allowed me to connect to many artists internationally and it is is a good way to expose oneself to the art world.

Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
I have a personal website at: https://www.kerrataylor.com/.

I am preparing some of these paintings for my first and upcoming solo show held at Jonathan Ferrara Gallery in New Orleans in June. I am also represented by Jonathan Ferrara Gallery. My work is available through their gallery on Artsy at: https://www.artsy.net/jonathan-ferrara-gallery/artist/kerra-taylor. Or, it can be found on their 1stdibs link at: https://www.1stdibs.com/search/art/?q=kerra%20taylor

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kerrataylor.com/
• Email: kerrataylorart@gmail.com
• Instagram: @kerrataylor_art
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kerra.taylor.56

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