Adam Kelne
Artists are expected to see life differently than most people, but even among artists, Adam Kelne “swims upstream”. Bypassing traditional art media of oil and acrylic, Kelne has mastered encaustic painting – a labor-intensive technique favored by ancient Greeks that combines pigment, wax and resin in delicate balance to grab viewers’ attention and emotion. Further, he prefers the nuances and strength of black and white over color pigments, and a unique, breath-taking photo-realistic style over abstract representations.
Kelne found his true artistic voice while in college pursuing first a Bachelor’s degree and then a Master’s degree in Visual Art Education at the University of Kansas. Becoming restless with traditional art forms, he enrolled in a media and techniques class that explored lesser known art forms, a choice that literally changed his life.
Adam had his first one-man show – and sold his first painting – at Kriegel’s Gallery in Olathe, Kansas, in 2000 on the same weekend he received his undergraduate degree. Later that month he took a humanitarian trip to Kenya, where he found inspiration everywhere, including in a chief of a small Massai tribe, who later became the subject of another painting.
Kelne’s choice of subject matter is powerful. He prefers to paint faces – of both the famous and the unknown – where the lines of the person’s life are etched deeply enough to tell the story of the individual. By having the paintings devoid of color, he allows viewers to complete the picture in their minds and, in a sense, make it their composition, too. Becoming part of the painting in this manner is intoxicating, especially when the canvasses are as large as 3’x4’.
As an artist, Adam continues to pursue his technique, refining and learning from each portrait. When not painting, Kelne works in the Kansas City, Kansas, School District, as an elementary art teacher at an inner-city magnet school where he was named Star Teacher for 2006-2007. Adam was born and grew up in St. Louis, MO.
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Paintings are available for purchase.
Inquire about commissions.