KEEMO
“Floating Above It All As You Ponder Your Last Day On Earth” 48” x 60”. Acrylic on canvas
In this interview, Grand Rapids, Michigan-based artist Keemo discusses his abstract portraits, his background in graphic design, and the ways his education in psychology have influenced his themes and approach to art-making.
Interview by Uzomah Ugwu
You are currently based in Grand Rapids. Did you grow up there? How has Michigan played a part in the ways that you approach your artwork?
Growing up in Grand Rapids, Michigan has had a huge influence on my approach to artwork. Less from a creative perspective and more from a business perspective. Grand Rapids is an art-friendly city but there is not a lot of market opportunity here. I knew that if I wanted to make a living as an artist, I needed to reach beyond this city and create my own opportunities via the web, social, email, etc. In the early years, I abandoned the local art scene completely to focus on representing myself. It wasn't until I had established myself internationally, that I eventually created a relationship with Richard App and starting showing here in Grand Rapids again.
What is your educational background? How much did your education shape your style?
My formal degree is in Psychology. However, all my work experience/education is in graphic design, web design, and marketing. All of these things combined have shaped my style. My interest in psychology, self-exploration, and self-discovery is really the driving force why I make art at all. My interest as an artist in the process of creating artwork; the ongoing internal conversation that you have with yourself while in the process of making art. I don't put a lot of forethought or pressure on the finished piece. I always feel that the finished piece is a direct result of that conversation.
“Portrait Of Our Place In Nature” 36” x 48”. Acrylic on canvas
Who are your earliest artistic influences? Are there any artists in your family?
I am the only artist in the family. However, I will say that my two older brothers are two of the most creative people I know. They may not create "art" as we know it but they live artistically and creatively and are a creative influence to this day. With regard to other artistic influences, I suppose like most people when they are starting out, I looked to all the dead, famous artists for inspiration/direction. Once I got over that silly idea, I set out to discover my own voice as an artist. I figured the best way to find my own voice was to not pay attention to other artists for inspiration. So, that's what I did. This allowed room for artistic influences to come in from non-art related areas. Family, friends, music, small life moments, large lift moments, daydreams, everything...
Your portraits seem almost tribal. Are there any outside cultures that have directly influenced you, or any particular artists who have inspired your portraits?
I am the kind of person that likes to strip away all the external garbage and focus more on what makes each of us unique and celebrate that. I have a long-running series of paintings titled, "Our Most Realistic Portraits Are Abstract." This probably best articulates this idea. I didn't set out to create work that feels so tribal but when you start simplifying art, especially figures, it begins to feel very tribal by its nature.
“Portrait Of Love And Finding Meaning In Each Other” 48” x 60”. Acrylic on canvas
Your sculptures are very psychedelic, and they also often resemble architecture from the sixties and totem poles from Native American art. Can you discuss how you lay out a concept or vision for a sculpture before it is created?
Hmmm...I generally don't know where a piece will end up when I begin. It's the same with the sculpture pieces. I see what items I have and start assembling them in a way that they speak to me. In reference to the sculptures that resemble sixties architecture, this was the direct response to painting almost exclusively portraits for so many years. It was time to follow some other creative ideas and explore concepts that were a complete 180 from my usual approach. Those hard, wood blocks were a long way from the painterly figures I was so comfortable with. I started to kind of think about those structures as being the places my figures would inhabit in some imaginary world.
“All My Dreams Are Found In Boxes Held By Others”
Structure Series #6 - “We Place Our Heart In The Places That Will Hold It”
You use a lot of found objects and mixed media, and even text in your pieces. Do you have any background in graphic design? Do you use any elements found in software that graphic designers use?
It's funny you say that. Yes, as I mentioned before, I do have experience as a graphic artist, web designer, etc...I love design in general and don't get me started on fonts. I love a good font! While I use those tools in the selling and marketing of my art, I don't mix commercial art techniques and software into the creative process. Call me a bit old school but I just love to paint and love the creative freedom that comes without having to be encumbered by the sterile limitations of software. I always feel that when I am creating commercial work on a computer it is about the finished product. You set out to create something specific. Out in the studio, without these tools, you can get messy, spill things, smell the paint and connect with your creative process on a much different level. This is where the heart of the art life is for me.
“Portrait Of All Things Now And Forever” 36” x 48”. Acrylic on canvas
You have a very visible presence online. How has the internet been important or vital to your work? How can an artist develop their art form through social media platforms?
The internet is everything to an artist today. If you want to make a living as an artist, you have to be online and you have to be visible. We all have everything we need at our disposal now to self represent. For me personally, the Internet has opened up opportunities to create relationships and sell art around the world. To put this into perspective, 60% of the artwork I sell is outside of the US. 99% of the artwork I sell is outside of my city. This is only possible because of the Internet. Unless you are lucky enough to be in a blue-chip gallery getting large sums of money, the gallery model won't sustain most of us. Sales simplified comes down to a relationship between the seller and the buyer. In the gallery world, the art gallery owns this relationship. You are just the commodity. When you self-represent online, the relationship is yours. You get to know people, make friends and people can connect with you personally. Social media platforms make this part of a long-distance relationship possible. If I was to give one bit of advice it would be to just be yourself. Make the art you want, there are millions of people out there and many of them will dig what you do. Just make art and be present.
You are known for your signature red, turquoise, lime and cadmium yellow. Your choice of colors is dynamic and striking. Is there any particular color methodology or selection process you go through when you are creating your art?
Ahhh, color. I have so many different hangups with color and reasons why I use the colors I do. I'm not sure where to begin. There are usually two main things I consider with color: how does it go on to the canvas and what does the color represent? I often connect with colors for various reasons and then I stick with them for a very long time. This is easy to see the consistency over the years as my style has evolved. For example, I use only one blue and I have used the same blue for years and years. I started using it when I was going through a rough patch to represent tears or sadness but over time it has come to represent hope and looking to future. Now, every time I use it (on every painting) I think of hope and possibilities. Technically, I love how it goes on. It's thick and opaque and I can work fast. I also use different brands for different colors. The brand that I use for blue, doesn't have a good red. So, I use a different brand for the red. I do tend to limit the number of colors to four or five tops. I referred to the painting process as a conversation. When I use more color than that the conversation just gets out of control and it doesn't sit well with me. It's like being at a party and everyone is yelling and you don't really have meaningful discussions. Right now, I have four go-to colors: turquoise, light blue, yellow and red. I love this combination for some reason. It feels right to me. It feels like my language. I augment with black and white, of course.
“The World Is Only Upside Down If You Choose To Look At It That Way” 36” x 48”. Acrylic on canvas
With social media you let the audience be a part of the piece, often displaying a piece from when you first started it, and along its various stages up until it is finished. What is your goal in terms of interacting with your core audience? Do you see this interactivity as something more artists should engage in?
As I mentioned, art is all about the creative process for me. This is the part that I find most interesting. People who don't create art never get to see this part of it. It is very easy to walk up to a painting and think, "I could do that," or "I don't understand that," or "That is a nice picture of a cat." By sharing progress pictures, my hope is that people with better understand the path and worry less about the destination. I hope it demystifies the creative process. It shows that mistakes are OK — or even better, mistakes don't exist. You work through ideas and rework them and will eventually settle into something that has meaning.
How has the relationship between artists and the museum and gallery representatives evolved, or even devolved since marketing and self-representation has been increasing online? How would you suggest the young artist promote their art via the Internet?
It wasn't that long ago that artists needed the gallery to sell art. That is no longer true. I remember galleries wanting exclusive distribution. That doesn't work anymore. The big galleries still require this I am sure but the smaller galleries that most of us work with are generally more open to you self-promoting. They are learning that it benefits them as well if you are both promoting your "brand." (I hate that word but it is what it is). I would suggest that every artist works at establishing their own online presence first. Don't worry about galleries until after you have followed the steps below.:
Step 1, get an e-commerce website to sell your art. If you want to sell work you have to have a "buy now" button. All self-promotion will eventually lead here. Step 2, establish an email list. Get a free MailChimp account or something and start to build the list. Email marketing is often overlooked but is very effective. Your biggest fans will join your email list. Connect and communicate with them! Step 3, create a social presence. I rely mainly on Facebook and Instagram at this point. Just be yourself, share your work and be nice. Enjoy the relationships that you will build, make friends and your art will blossom. Lock these three elements down and then get to work.
One thing I do feel like I need to mention is that self-representation takes work. You don't just build a website and people start magically buying your work. You need to be consistent and communicate well. Some days I spend more time working on the business side of things than I spend in the studio. It's hard work but it's worth it. Just stay dedicated and don't lose hope.
What do you think some of the advantages are of self-presentation over gallery representation?
I think the biggest advantage of self-representation is you are creating your own relationships. People connect with the artist as much as, if not more, than the art itself. Another big advantage is the targeted reach. Galleries rely heavily on foot traffic. Once that foot traffic comes in, you now have to cross your fingers that that person likes your work or doesn't prefer the paintings by other artists on the walls. Self-representing on the Internet allows you to connect with people who specifically like your work. They aren't visiting because they like the gallery. They are visiting you because they connect with your work. Lastly, there is pricing. Obvious, I know, but since you are doing the marketing, you don't have to give a gallery 40% of the sale. 40% of anything is a big number.
What’s coming up for you in the near future? Any particular works or showings that you would like people to know about?
The last four months or so, I have been in complete reboot mode. After so many years, I fell into a bit of a predictable rut. I am working on much larger pieces now and really spending time on the process of creating art and defining an interesting personal narrative in my work. My goal is to create honest, unique art, that is recognizably mine. I am also in the process of rebuilding my website to better show and sell my work. Hopefully, that is complete by the time this interview gets published! If you would like to see my work in person, you will find it on display at The NOMAD Gallery in Grand Rapids, or come by my studio and say hi! I have also started discussions about an April show with a new gallery in Chicago called the West Loop Dot Gallery. Last but not least you will find me at www.keemogallery.com. See you there.
View more of Keemo’s work on his site and on Instagram.
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Uzomah Ugwu is a poet, writer, and activist. Her core focus is on human rights, mental health, animal rights and the rights of LGBTQ persons. Her writing has been featured in Prelude Magazine, Tuck Magazine, Voices of Eve and Light Journal, and is forthcoming in the Angel City Review and the Scarlet Leaf Review. She is the Contributing/Poetry Editor for A Tired Heroine magazine. Her love for art comes from a passion instilled by her mother. Some of her favorite artists include Louis Bourgeois, Jarlath Daly, Gauguin, Lamidi Olonde Fakeye, and Jackson Pollack.
