Profile- Athena Victoria Kelly

Krannert Art Museum (KAM) Exhibition

May 12th, 2024

Features (left to right) The Mother, The Hunger, Beast of Intestines, and Birth of Athena.

A story of pain and desire told in 4 pieces. The wall paper hung behind the pieces was created on a risograph and reach the ceiling of the museum over 15 feet tall.

Birth of Athena

May 5th, 2024

Oil on Canvas, Rope, Clay, Fake Fur.

A self portrait of Athena under eminent threat as she rises from a crater in an apocalyptic setting.

Sketches V

Works from January to May 2024.

Pen, Marker, and Pencil on Paper.

A collection of the most noteworthy sketches made during this time.

Works include (1) Ripples, (2) Athena Born, (3) Organic Abstraction, (4) Thomas and Leia, (5) Court of the Five, (6) Alien Eye, (7) Cheese Spheres, (8) Untitled, (9) Centipede Eye, (10) Birth of Athena Frame Plans, (11) Tri Eye, (12) Earth Day Outfit Design.

Yearning Jellyfish Fit

May 4, 2024

Cotton and other natural fibers.

This outfit was created for the 2024 Re-Fashion show at UIUC. Yearning Jellyfish was part of a line of emotional pieces. This outfit is made to depict the feeling of yearning through the imagery of a Jellyfish caught in a fishing net.

Sally Squid

April 30, 2024.

Paper mache and mixed media sculpture. stood 18 feet tall, total length is 40 feet.

Giant puppet built for the 2024 UIUC puppet parade. Collaboration with Emma Haugh-Ewald, Owen Mastroianni, and Emily Renner.

Quantum Star

April 29, 2024.

Oil on Canvas, 36" by 72".

Depiction of a single quark within a proton. It resembles the scale and force of a burning star. Creating massive scale out of impossibly tiny subject matter.

New Century Fits

March 7, 2024.

Digital fashion plate.

Collaboration with Owen Mastroianni inspired by fashion trends of the early and mid 20th century. The target demographic would be urban youth looking for a more artistic way of self expression.

The Quirky Study

February 21, 2024.

Oil on Canvas.

A quirked-up quirky still life drawing, serious depictions are so overrated.

The Mother

February 9, 2024.

Ceramic and Glaze.

Depiction of The Mother. She is so beautiful and so fertile.

Beast of Intestines

February 9, 2024.

Ceramic and Glaze.

The Beast, glimpsed in material form.

Ocean Floor

February 1, 2024.

Disassembled and reassembled record player.

Take a journey into the long lost depths to this monumental wreckage resting in peaceful silence.

Sky Study

January 31, 2024. Oil on Canvas Paper.
Inspired energetic creation of the night sky

Chicken Coop

January 31, 2024.

Oil on Canvas Paper

A tonally homogeneous depiction of Athena's beloved chicken coop.

Sketches IV

Works from August to December 2023.

Pen, Pencil, and Digital Edits on Paper.

A collection of the most intriguing sketches Athena made in this semester.

Works include (1) Ant Touch, (2) Jelly Rave, (3) The Dripping Hand, (4) Merson, (5) Insect Jewelry Set, (6) End of Everything, (7) Nate From Behind, (8) Giant's Scull Tree, (9) Fish Girl, Prism Grabber, and Billy the Bisexual Body Builder, (10) Inflated Eyes, (11) The Hand Destroys Itself, (12) Lion's Mane Jellyfish, (13) Racing Outfit (observational drawing), (14) Falling Apart Study, (15) Eyes and Beasts, (16) Bulbous Hand, (17) Valentina Drawing.

Ceramic Installation I

December 9, 2023.

Ceramics Left to right: The Abstraction, Prosperity, The Damaged Organ, The Hunger, Heart Decay, The Creature.

Drawing left to right: Nude 002, Nude 001, Nude 003, Falling Apart, Nude 004, Self Portrait on Fake Brick,

Photos from Heavenly Auras Biblical Angel, Eyes, and Spiraling.

Rest: The Removal of Pain

December 3, 2023.

Video with Timelapse Elements.

Meditative sound scape video. This video should be watched with the intention of taking a few minutes of mental rest and observing the peaceful sounds of a shower, humidifier, and soothing hums.

Red and the Wolf

November 30th, 2023.

A photo series.

With the exception of clothes and text, everything in these images are made of Athena's body parts. This story is a modern retelling of the classic tale Little Red Riding Hood. It comments on themes of perception, power, independence, and sexualization.

Eyes

November 22, 2023.

Photo Series.

Nude photoshoot with Kimberly Seeley modelling. Second photo shoot in the series of nude shoots of bodies with drawings. Kimberly chose the eye as a symbol of herself and her art.

Falling Apart

November 15, 2023.

Charcoal and Chalk on Cardboard.

Depiction of the artist Athena melting among a barren plain. Behind her a sky of endless eyes. Is her seat a throne, or just a place to watch the universe end?

Self Portrait on Fake Brick

November 15, 2023.

Charcoal and Gesso on Fake Brick.

Melancholy depict of the self.

Nude 001

November 8, 2023.

Charcoal and Chalk on Paper.

Despite the name, this is the 4th drawing in the nude series.

Spiraling

November 3, 2023.

Photo Series.

First in the series of nude shoots with drawings on the models. Athena poses with a spirals wrapped around her whole body. Shot by William Hohe. Drawing assistance from William Hohe and Savanna Lasson.

The Abstraction

November 2, 2023.

Glazed Stoneware.

Clay as a painting, enjoy this world of sculpted shapes.

Nude 004

November 1, 2023.

Charcoal and Chalk on Paper.

The 3rd drawing in the nude series.

Purgatory

October 30, 2023.

Photo edit.

Depiction of the self on one's own eye. Trapped atop their corpse. Stripped of purpose like an ant.

Heart Decay

October 26, 2023.

Glazed Stoneware.

A heart corrupted, oozing and wounded. Mossy mold thrives here.

Nude 003

October 24, 2023.

Charcoal and Chalk on Cardboard.

The second drawing in the nude series.

The Damaged Organ

October 24, 2023.

Glazed Stoneware.

Athena's fear of damaging her organs has been made tangible.

Bathroom Chaos

October 19, 2023.

Photo Series.

Collaboration with Owen Mastroianni.

12 image series, 4 images of each act.
Act 1, Toilet Glory. Act 2, Peeping. Act 3, Bathroom Party.

The Creature

October 19, 2023.

Glazed Stoneware.

A creature is born.

Nude 002

October 18, 2023.

Charcoal on Paper.

The original work in the nude series.

Prosperity

October 12, 2023.

Glazed Stoneware.

Swampy piece from a more Cambrian era.

The Hunger

October 17, 2023.

Glazed Stoneware.

The mouths yearn to be fed, but they always want more. Is it greed or gluttony?

Weekly Nostalgia

October 3, 2023.

Photo Series.

(1) Repetition, (2) Love, (3) Fame, (4) Limits, (5) Reputation, (6) Restless, (7) Home, (8) The Meaning.

Take in this series on the cycles of passionate art making and destructive partying.

Enjoy

October 2, 2023.

Charcoal and Pastels on Paper.

Enjoy. Athena strives against all barriers to make enjoyable art. This piece reflects those feelings.

Heavenly Auras- Biblically Accurate Angel Shoot

October 1, 2023.

Outfit made of Wood, Fake Fur, Clay, and Feathers.

Photography by Kyriaki Karavasis. This outfit was Athena's first attempt at making any sort of fashion piece. She worked so intensely that she had to visit emergency care due to the stresses of working 70+ hours per week to complete it.

Cetaceans

September 28, 2023.

60+ foot long whale sculpture made from recycled materials.

Athena was part of a team who helped create this life size sperm whale sculpture along with prop boats and sea kelp towers for the show Cetaceans.

Neon Nude

September 27, 2023.

Oil Pastels on Paper.

Study from a life drawing course.

Queer All Year Exhibition

September 22, 2023.

Featured Mothership and Apollo's Portrait (not photographed here).

Exhibition at the now-gone Prism Studios in Champaign.

Experiment With Clay

September 14, 2023.

Unfired Stoneware, flowers, and cord.

Experimental combination involving clay.

Ants Through Wooded Passage

August 30, 2023.

Charcoal on Paper.

Inspired by traditional Chinese nature landscape.

Floater

August 22, 2023.

Photo Shoot.

Eerie shots from a hotel pool. Hotels may be the creepiest type of building. The pool was lovely though.

Fish Edits

December 29, 2022 to August 10, 2023.

Video Edits.

Exciting footage of aquarium fish swimming at double speed with awesome gifs and high paced music!

Sketches II + III

Works from July 2022 to July 2023.

Pen and Pencil.

Collection of the intriguing and disturbing.

Works Include (1) Venus Colony, (2) Spider, (3) Figure I, (4) Dysphoria, (5) Figure II, (6) Albert.

Mothership

May 6, 2023.

Oil and Collage on Canvas.

In the year 9X88350YX Athena flys her space station by earth to see how the world is doing. The giant holographic spiral indicates Earth is thriving. Her fungi children hatch and cling to her. This is a beautful day for the cyborg artist.

April 11, 2023. Full room installation with accompanying stop motion animation.

Collaboration with Owen Mastroianni and Emily Renner.

Animated Dreams

Organ Valley Art School

April 6, 2023. Pencil on Paper.

Noteworthy sketch/idea. expect to see impressionist paintings later exploring this imagery.

Pandrina 001

March 29, 2023. Pen, Pencil, and Colored Pencil on Paper.

Art showcasing a surgery to put a human brain in a robot body.

Untitled Tiger

March 22, 2023.

Oil on Canvas with String and Collage.

A beautiful beast tragically split between two canvases.

Xavier

March 20, 2023.

Paper Mache, paint, and lighting.

Collab with Owen Mastroianni.

"Our beautiful child Xavier has been brought to life. They live in such a scary place. They only wish to hop and play. Such a precious fetus has never existed before. I Love Xavier." -Athena

Tom's Party

March 9, 2023.

Oil on Canvas.

Inspired by the haunted halls of Athena's Studio. A friendly creature named tom is throwing a festive party.

Abbreviated Crisis

February 22, 2023.

Paper Mache on Canvas with a Florescent Light.

Abstraction formed through light and shadow rather than variation of pigments. Objects placed throughout this sculptural painting represent a severe illness Athena endured. Shown in a lit room on the left image, and in a dark room on the right image.

Body As...

February 5, 2023.

Video Series.

3 Videos about the body and its relation to the world. Body as Routine, Body as Flesh, and Body as Cloth.

Scans and Shots

February 4, 2023.

Photos of Clay Sculptures and Digital Scans of Artists.

Collaboration with Owen Mastroianni and Emily Renner. Features creations such as Plong and Gerbis.

Liminal Trip

January 25, 2023.

Photo Shoot

Dive into the eerie realms of liminal space. Where rooms go on forever but people are no where to be found.

Letter to a Friend

December 13, 2022.

Photo Series.

"Hope this letter finds you well, my friend."

Featuring the iconic Daniel McGhee.

Break Up

December 12, 2022.

Oil on Panel, 3 Piece Series.

(From top to bottom) "Lets not talk about this right now", "You aren't the one, sorry", "I cant see you anymore".

Detailing Athena's feelings and life at the time of a scary relationship she has to end.

MMXXII

December 5, 2022.

Plaster, Fabric, Mirror.

Sculpture made for a mold making study. Angled pouring allowed the mold to appear to be sinking into the ground more in each iteration.

Secrets

November 16, 2022.

Wood and Fabric.

Sculpture of a face. Intended to be installed in the corner of a wall such that the face is upright.

Gumball Demon

October 31, 2022.

Narrative Photo Series.

The full title of this piece is "Oh No! Me and My Friend Performed an Evil Ritual to Summon a Gumball Demon, and Now My Friend is Dead and I'm a Candy Demon!"

Blue and Gold

October 25, 2022.

Photo Series.

Series centered around golden hour and blue hour lighting, the relationship between the colors blue and gold, and breakfast foods in odd places.

Wow, He's Such a Talented Surgeon

October 21, 2022.

Oil on Panel.

Surgical horror piece focused partially on drapery and partially on the unknown.

Giant Pinecone

October 4, 2022.

Cardboard Sculpture.

Athena wishes pinecones were really this big.

Plong Fun

September 29, 2022.

Digital Image.

Just a fun bit of editting on the beloved character Plong.

Love and Hate

September 27, 2022.

Photo Series.

In this collection there are 5 things or representations of ideas which Athena hated at the time and 5 which Athena loved. Since then she has come to love several of the items on the hate list. Can you guess which photo belongs to which emotion?

Hand Studies

September 25, 2022. Oil on Paper.

Are You Sure The Surgical Option Was the Best Choice

September 15, 2022.

Pen and Colored Pencil on Paper.

Based off of Athena's desires and doubts surrounding replacing her body with a robotic one.

Hands In Reconstruction

September 22, 2022.

Pen on Paper.

Hands in their ideal forms. Intricate designs and mystical controllers.

Painter

September 1, 2022.

Cardboard and Paint.

Just a little guy.

Tattoo Doodles

Works from June to July 2022.

Pen on Paper.

Sketches for cool tattoo ideas.

Sketches I

Works from January to June 2022.

Pencil, Colored Pencil, and Pen on Paper.

Sketches and Studies from learning about geometric and organic drawing styles.

Works Include (1) 0.1 Seconds After the Blast, (2) Plong, (3) Singularity in the Mall, (4) Bone Ship, (5) Desert Monolith, (6) Isometric Composition, (7) Four Seasons of a Wrench, (8) Train Station, (9) Plastic Ocean, (10) Bird and Moon, (11) Funky Pyramid, (12) Weird Drawings, (13) Sunset Pier, (14) Music Abstraction, (15) Trinkets and Monoliths, (16) Untitled, (17) Abstract Casino, (18) Octagon Bedroom, (19) Class Demo, (20) Triangles.

Thank You for Coming to My Funeral

May 11, 2022.

Oil on Canvas.

The last art piece Athena made before transitioning. Inspired by filmmaking of the 1950s.

Lay Beside Me As I Scream With Joy

May 10, 2022.

Ink, Acrylic, and Charcoal on Cardboard.

She lays there seeing the beauty of a universe quickly dying. Her mind explodes with endless ideas and countless friends. True bliss.

We Died Long Ago

May 7, 2022.

Pencil on Paper with Digital Shading.

This piece is focused on an emotional feeling of loss and death. Made strange through the subtle distortion of physical perspective. The piece Jenny Lemonhead can be found amongst the trash and treasure.

Infinite Record Player

April 7, 2022.

Pencil and Colored Pencil on Paper.

Blueprints for a machine which could play records that contain experiences far beyond sound. The crystal floating by the entrance of the phonograph horn is a psychic crystal which telekinetically beams the record's experiences into the user's minds.

Little Guy's Strange Shorts

April 4, 2022.

Video, includes clay animation and hand drawn animation.

Little guy is being born via construction. Every element of them must be taught life lessons before Little Guy is ready to truly exist in the world.

Abstract I

March 30, 2022.

Oil on Panel.

Athena's first abstract painting. Inspired by what she sees when she closes her eyes and lets static images form lines and regions. Every dot was very deliberately placed.

Jenny Lemonhead

March 11, 2022.

Oil on canvas.

A collaged painting of the works of Paul Cezanne, Greg Drasler, Alice Neel, and Frank Stella. Jenny lives a bizarre life.

Tower of Flesh (Crying Eye)

March 11, 2022.

Pen and Watercolor on Paper.

A living landscape cut into for corporate profits. Industrial equipment brings pain to the tower. It can only shed tears in response.

Still Life I

February 21, 2022. Oil on Paper.

First oil painting Athena ever made.

City in Geometry

February 18, 2022.

Charcoal and Colored Pencil on Paper.

A mostly baren monumental city of geometric shapes. So many mysteries lie unseen.