Nature and the feminine form define the work of this ground-breaking art photographer and visual artist
Self-portrait artist Kellie North creates thought-provoking, beautiful imagery of the feminine form. Her work has been described as visual poetry — it’s highly emotive and unwaveringly evocative.
“I like to capture feminine, somewhat faceless figures draped in billowing fabric in water or juxtaposed against the ruggedness of the natural environment,” says Kellie. Her art explores the vivid contrast of fluid organic shapes and the evocative natural world. It celebrates their differences, yet unites them, creating a lasting impression with the viewer.
Kellie’s artistic pursuits have taken her across the globe to the UK, America, India and Asia. “I enjoy listening to people’s stories and in turn love the reciprocity of telling my own,” she says. “Photography is a wonderful medium in which you can tell a story, be it documentary, travel or fine art.”
After gaining professional qualifications five years ago, Kellie knew the direction she wanted her artistic endeavours to take. “I finally felt like I had found my place and was starting to find my confidence and voice as an artist,” she says. Once she began her fledgling business, Kellie honed her craft and fine-tuned her skills as a self-portrait artist. “I wanted to work in solitude, layer upon layer, creating a piece of art from a blank canvas to a finished product all on my own.”
She spends time immersed in nature, watching waves crash onto the shore or trekking through rugged bushland, gathering ideas for her art. The fluidity of movement in her craft was drawn from her years as a dancer. “To me the human form is incredible, the way we can tell a story with our bodies without the need for words,” she says.
Kellie describes her art as a “building process”; it’s not just about taking pictures — there are layers of practical and artistic complexity that offer challenge and artistic growth. Kellie says she’s always delighted when her art has profound meaning for another. “I have a piece called Let Go, which I made after a tumultuous time in my life, and it’s one of my prints that tends to connect with people on many different levels,” she shares.
One of her favourites was her Undercurrent series. “The concept behind this body of work is the ocean; we all have an undercurrent,” she explains. “It’s a feeling, a force that stirs within us, moving in a different direction from what we assume to be.”
Kellie’s philosophy about art centres around honesty. “I believe the more authenticity and emotion you put into your pieces, the more you connect with them, and in turn others will connect with them too.”
For more information
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Originally published in Home Design Volume 22, Edition 1