Meet Kelly, the incredibly talented illustrator who colours our spaces with their lovely sketches of people in places. Whether you’ve explored our maps, visited our website, or stayed in our cosy rooms, chances are you’ve seen Kelly’s endearing artwork at Max Brown.
We fell in love with Kelly and their artwork (how could we not?), thanks to their unique ability to capture playful and mischievous personalities in their illustrations. From captivating creatures to thought-provoking social commentaries, Kelly’s artwork has a way of bringing people together and spreading joy far and wide.
As we kick off Pride at Max Brown, we had the pleasure of visiting Kelly in their studio to learn more about their bold and colorful illustrations, their activism within the LGBTQ+ community, and their valuable contributions to creating inclusive spaces not only at Max Brown but also beyond.
P.s. You can shop Kelly’s colorful artwork here: http://www.kellybjork.com/shop
LET’S START AT THE BEGINNING, WHERE DID CREATIVITY START FOR YOU?
As a kiddo, I spent a lot of time alone in my head. Whether that was beachcombing for hours hunting for little treasures, creating elaborate storylines with my Barbies all by myself, or drawing anything and everything I could think of. From the day I could pick up a pencil, I have scarcely put it down. I loved that I could do it anywhere at any time, and it is such a treat to look back and trace that passion from my little kid self to now. I draw for a living! Childhood me would be delighted to hear this.
TALK US THROUGH YOUR MAX BROWN ILLUSTRATION JOURNEY AND PROCESS; FROM BRIEF TO CURATION. WHAT DID YOU LOVE, WHERE DO YOU CONNECT MOST?
I found the Max Brown process incredibly rewarding; commission projects that ask me to utilise my imagination and creativity inside the confines of specificity regarding content are projects through which I learn so much about my art and inner artist. Collaborative exchange is not a frequent theme in my art making as a solo painter and artist, so navigating that with a fellow freelance creative (designer Angela Lidderdale) revealed new and informative things about my personal making process. The Max Brown spaces themselves were a delight to paint.
IN WHAT WAYS DO YOU INTERPRET YOURSELF AND YOUR OWN VALUES INTO YOUR WORK?
For the last five years, I have drawn inspiration for my work from the queer community, of which I am myself a member and therefore also a subject. As my work has developed, it has become autobiographical, sharing my coming out experience. I choose to expose myself and my loved ones, offering a view that’s simple but deeply intimate. It is often daunting and sometimes risky to fold this degree of vulnerability into what I create, but I find the risk worth the reward. In the artistic contexts where I am depicting someone close to me, or someplace altogether imagined, or somewhere in between, compassion and respect are my primary drivers.
“Representation” and “diversity” are attractive buzzwords that everyone might be inspired to attach to their work in the current political and economic climate. My art has always done these things, because it has always been these things. I am a queer artist making queer art in a time and place in which the LGBTQ+ community is once again facing discrimination at every level, be it social, physical, or political. My art offers an escape from the harsh realities facing queers by creating spaces where my audience can be held and seen. I offer my work as a shield, a shelter, a cup of tea, a warm blanket. It serves as a reminder to both those who struggle to remember and those who refuse to accept that we aren’t going anywhere, and we will continue to experience joy, tenderness, love, passion…and sex.
WHEN IT COMES TO TRAVEL, WHERE IN THE WORLD DO YOU FEEL MOST ‘AT HOME’ AND WHERE DO YOU FEEL MOST OUTSIDE OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE, AND WHY?
I have always called the Pacific Northwest home because it has always felt that way, and vice versa. The feelings of comfort and familiarity are integral to my work, and the more I am in touch with them for myself, the easier it is to recreate them in my art. I haven’t travelled much, but I am drawn to places with a similar climate to the PNW, as well as equally accessible nature (Amsterdam and Berlin, I’m looking at you!)
With regard to places where I feel most uncomfortable, I’d probably say anywhere with incredibly conservative values in which my queerness or that of my loved ones’ would be considered a hazard to our safety.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR CURRENT CREATIVE WORK AND WHAT IS COMING UP IN THE FUTURE.
This past October I had a solo show titled Swimming Naked which was a collection of intimate vignettes illustrating moments of queer joy and self-expression/identity. This show shared the sensations of self-discovery and queer identity, all depicting quiet moments of emotional wellbeing. I plan to continue making work for this series in 2023. Some of that new work went with J.Rinehart Gallery to Art Market San Francisco, the Bay Area’s longest running art fair. And this June, portraits I painted of notable queer figures from Seattle will be displayed in vinyl-wraps on electrical boxes around Seattle’s queer neighbourhood. Pride month is often busy for me as I step up to support and uplift my community however I can!
