Diarmuid Kelley “Recent Paintings”

Stellan Holm Gallery

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Offer Waterman (at Stellan Holm)

Offer Waterman Gallery presents the debut New York exhibition of paintings by Diarmuid Kelley. The exhibition, Recent Paintings, features more than 20 of the artists signature large-scale portraits and still lifes, taking over Stellan Holm at 1018 Madison Avenue. Recent Paintings marks the first solo exhibition by the acclaimed British artist outside of London and the gallery’s first independent presentation in New York.

Celebrated for an innovative studio practice and figurative painting that references Renaissance masters, contemporary photography, and cinematic mise-en-scene, Kelley is a master of painting and capturing the expression of light. The more than 20 works in Recent Paintings showcase Kelley’s singular process and prowess for figurative painting and traditional disciplines, which made him a standout in his generation of British artists.

Working from his rooftop London studio, Kelley uses a custom-built box with a window to frame his sitters and heighten the play of darkness and light. Kelley begins his painting process by creating a carefully orchestrated ‘stage’ for his subjects to inhabit. With utmost attention to detail including color, texture, and pattern, a mise-en-scene is carefully crafted to become a third character in his work. In Kelley’s hands, humble and ephemeral objects, from fruit to autumn leaves, inhabit a silent but eloquent space in time and are portrayed with a rigorous observation of color and form.