Keith Conley

*Little Soldiers*, 2020, 16" x 20", Oil on Canvas

*Sinner*, 2020, 24" x 24", Oil on Canvas

Keith Conley is an artist who is primarily a painter, but also dabbles in pottery and metalwork. He is currently majoring in Fine Arts at Indiana University East where he is alsoworking asthe studio assistant. Recently, he is working on a series of workthat focuses on hisexploration of events of his upbringing and how these moments have moldedhim as a person he is now. In 2019, Hereceived second place in theAnnual Student Showcase forhisdrawing,Victor,by the juror Pamela Bliss. Outside of the studio, He ismarried with two pre-teen daughters and worksas a barista and bartender.He also enjoys drawing and painting skulls and posting on Instagram (@kwconleyart).

Artist Statement

I am a painter that has also worked in metal and ceramics. I like to paint portraits, figures, and skulls. Mythology, nature, and the people around me have also inspired my past work. My preferred medium is oil paint and I like to use loose brushwork.

My current work is my examination of how my childhood experiences shaped my present for which I am incorporating visual metaphors metaphor and short form poetry in order to find new meaning to these events. So far, this work has given me new realizations on how I perceive myself.