Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kaleigh Blevins. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Kaleigh, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

A combination of things have gotten me to where I am. I studied art in both high school and undergrad. In studio art classes I learned the technical skills necessary to make my ideas come to life, and over time I’ve enhanced those skills simply by creating more work, which is the best way to learn. I’m always able to learn something new with each painting I make, and it’s also taught me what I do and don’t want to see in my own work. Aside from that, I look at work from all kinds of artists whether they be Old Masters, or contemporary artists, including my peers. Reading art history and philosophy helped me understand why my decisions as an artist matter. It’s important to me to maintain that balance of technical and conceptual knowledge when creating. My biggest learning obstacles were always time and myself. If I didn’t have or make the time to work on my craft, I didn’t. Looking back I would tell myself to dedicate every bit of my free time to my craft. This is still something I have to remind myself of now.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m an artist focused on Black subjectivity. I developed my current interest while working on my BFA in Painting at Wayne State University. Reading literature and thinking about my experience as a young Black person and those around me got me thinking about just how uncertain, and sometimes unnatural, life can feel when you’re Black.

For the past few years my work has focused on intimate, contemplative moments with figures occupying liminal spaces. The spaces these figures occupy are painted in a skewed, flat manner to create a disconnect between the figures and their environments, reflecting the disconnect between Black people and the world around them. The figures in my paintings sometimes directly meet the viewer’s gaze. This is an interrogation of the highly visible position Black people exist in, with our bodies and private moments providing spectacle and entertainment for the rest of the world. Ultimately, my work is about people trying to make sense of life and understand their place in the world.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

As a someone on the autism spectrum, I can have a very difficult time communicating effectively with others. Making art helps understand other people and connect with them on a clear level. Even though I make work about Black people specifically, I still think that some of the themes in my work are universal, allowing for anyone to understand and enjoy it on some level. It excites me when people tell me that my work makes them feel something. The connections I’ve been able to make with curators, viewers, and other artists through my art are very special to me.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

This may be an odd answer, but I wished I considered other artists as the valuable resources they are. This could be people at my experience level or more advanced artists. Just taking the time to talk to other artists about my work, their work or about art and life is great. You may get tips or even opportunities down the road from knowing other artists but beyond that you gain community and inspiration. When you connect with artists it reminds you that you are not alone in the huge, intimidating world of art. When I was younger I was afraid to talk to other artists for fear of sounding stupid or not being advanced enough to be seen as a “real artist,” but I lost that fear pretty quickly. When artists further in their careers told me to keep in touch, I wish that I had listened and not been afraid to ask questions and make use of their knowledge.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kaleighblevins.com
• Instagram: @kaleighblevinsart

Image Credits
CJ Benninger