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OverviewJuan Kelly paints a magical world suffused with visual metaphor. Challenging our perceptions of reality, Kelly’s artwork refuses to offer tidy resolutions to the questions posed. Utilizing the formal elements and techniques of old master paintings, Kelly constructs a enigmatic world that confronts our penchant for the familiar. Transported beyond stereotypical convention, Juan Kelly’s paintings mine the fertile territory of our collective subconscious and introduce us to layers of nuance and double entendres.
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Works
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The Guard
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Garden Entrance
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Lomo en Loma
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La Fruta no Prohibidia
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El Barco Soberano
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The Reins
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Morning Sounds
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Movement on the Promenade
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Reflections
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Horse in Ravello
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De la Crème
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Autumn Trail
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Happy Birthday
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Cyclical Tides
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El Globo Terraquio
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Portrait Before Legislation
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Perros Criollos
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The Power to Fly
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Fruits for Thought
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Lechita
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Island of the Lonely & Juicy Zebras
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La Piragua
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Sirope
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Pet Gator
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The Spot
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Distant Mountains
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Faith in the Archer
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Distinguished Portrait
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The Ship of Flowers
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Biography
"The two pillars that hold up my work are magic and movement. For me painting is a world with its own laws and logic that can be ruled by universal principles." — Juan Kelly
Juan Kelly paints a magical world suffused with visual metaphor. Challenging our perceptions of reality, Kelly’s artwork refuses to offer tidy resolutions to the questions posed. Utilizing the formal elements and techniques of old master paintings, Kelly constructs a enigmatic world that confronts our penchant for the familiar. Transported beyond stereotypical convention, Juan Kelly’s paintings mine the fertile territory of our collective subconscious and introduce us to layers of nuance and double entendres.
Metaphors and archetypes play a central role in Kelly’s painting. Assembling an unlikely couterie of animals and settings, the artist alludes to our subconscious experience as well as our keenest moments of self-realization. Kelly’s use of archetypal imagery in combination with masterful compositional motifs, catapults us into a realm abundant with possibility. Kelly’s use of rich, jewel-like colors saturate the fruit, foliage and drapery so often found in his work. In his hands, paint is transformed into an ebullient luster, infusing each element with a luscious sensuality.
Juan Kelly was born and grew up in Costa Rica and is currently living in the US. He is highly esteemed in his native country where his artwork is in major museums, including the Presidential Collection and Museo de Arte Costarricense. Over the last 30 years, Kelly has exhibited work extensively throughout Europe, the United States and Latin America.
Kelly’s oil paintings can be found in over 300 private collections. -
Exhibitions
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Juan Kelly
15 - 31 Dec 2023Nüart Gallery presents an exhibition featuring new work by Juan Kelly. The exhibition will November 3 through November 19, 2023 with an opening reception on Friday, November 3rd, from 5:00...Read more -
Nüart 20th Anniversary Show
24 Dec 2021 - 9 Jan 2022Nüart Gallery 20th Anniversary Show (SANTA FE, NM) Nüart Gallery is pleased to celebrate its 20th year of offering fine art with a special group exhibition of 36 established and...Read more -
Juan Kelly
Perceptions from Light and Structures 10 - 26 May 2019Nüart Gallery presents, Perceptions from Light and Structures, a solo exhibition of new oil paintings by the artist Juan Kelly. The exhibition will run May 10th through May 26th, with...Read more
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