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        Kelly Jean Ohl (Minnesota) (see images below) Kelly Jean Ohl is an incredibly energetic and resourceful artist. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre and Art from Minnesota State University. She went on to receive a Masters of Arts degree with an emphasis on ceramics also from Minnesota State University. She then went on to the University of Michigan to earn a Master of Fine Arts in Ceramics. Her work is featured in more than 50 art galleries around the country. Ohl is intrigued by how our other senses affect our experience of visual art. For her texture is a way to invite the viewer to use their other senses in experiencing the work, not only to look, but to touch and explore the work in a way we are often not encouraged to. Viewers often remark that Ohl’s work reminds them of things they’ve found on the forest floor, touched in a tide pool, or seen under a microscope. Her ceramic pieces aren't any of these things in particular. They are simply small abstract objects that reference many biological entities without being any one specifically. Many of the forms and surfaces feel both familiar and yet foreign. Much of this has to do with the source of the marks and Ohl’s personal working process. She works with clay in her studio much the way her grandmother worked with food in her kitchen. Many of the surfaces are derived using various kitchen utensils, textiles, and found objects. The designs are then further detailed by hand carving. And so like good food, it is a multi-sensory experience. Ohl’s work is a reflection of her belief that life is art. That beauty and curiosity are present everywhere including the humblest of life’s offerings. That life is a process of seeing, and hearing, and appreciating. The energy that Ohl gains from her accepting immersion in the world around her radiates from her work. This is what makes her pieces so dramatic. This is what draws us in with almost a magnetic pull. Life is art. |
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