Kennedy Lee

Year of birth: 1999 
Where do you live: Midland, TX
Your education: Associates in mass communication. Odessa College
Describe your art in three words: Surreal, Colorful, Versatile
Your discipline: Watercolor & Acrylic
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Can you tell us more about how your background in mass communication influences your art?

I think that through mass communication you can find creativity in different ways. Even if it’s not always visual art, you can absolutely be creative through writing, film, radio and advertising. Both art and mass communication are similar in that you have a message or information that you want broadcasted to an audience. It absolutely influences my art by providing inspiration through books, television and movies. Particularly with reading I think it’s one of the best tools for visual artists. It gives you so much practice by making you visualize and use you imagination to picture what’s going on in the story and what it would like for you.

How did growing up in West Texas shape your artistic vision?

Well I grew up in a little town in Oklahoma but have lived in West Texas for the last 10 years. I’m definitely inspired by both though, I think that the subject matter I like is very influenced by both. In Oklahoma, and during my childhood I was very lucky to always be around my grandparents. I remember my nana and papa always had coffee cans and were always growing plants which has inspired a few of my artworks as well as my grandma and grandpa, who always had animals like cows and a variety of birds which show up in my paintings too. In Texas, I take a lot of inspiration from my surroundings like desert landscapes and cowboy culture.

Kennedy Lee, Western Wonderland, 2024

What inspired you to start exploring the juxtaposition of mundane objects with surreal, bright colors?

I really like the duality between the two. That everyday objects and mundane things should just be boring or that they should only be done with realism and instead adding their opposite. I get really inspired by finding a concept that can be looked at two ways and trying to artistically represent them both.

How do you choose the subjects or objects that appear in your artwork?

I get inspiration from a variety of very different subjects and objects. A lot of the time with portraits it’s usually people that are close to me or people that I find very visually intriguing and interesting. I’ve done a few of my husband who I am always around and see the most. With objects found in my paintings I like to include my surroundings and sometimes things I grew up around.

Kennedy Lee, Past, Present, Future, 2023

Your work combines vibrant colors with everyday themes. What emotions or messages are you hoping to convey through this contrast?

I think that combining vibrant colors with everyday themes makes the viewer look more at the emotive colors being used as well as the subject because instead of representing realistic values it’s more unexpected. I also visually like the look of more high contrast artworks in addition to adding more surreal or dream-like elements. I hope the message conveyed in my artwork is that nothing is just ordinary and that anything can be made unique and vibrant.

Do you have any particular artists or art movements that inspire your surreal style?

One of my favorite artists is Maggie Taylor, her art is so interestingly layered and also beautifully constructed. She creates, finds and combines together these digital images that create such a playful and sometimes dark artwork that you always want to take a second look at. An art movement that inspires me is Fauvism. I love the strong use of color and the vibrancy of paintings created by artists like Henri Matisse.

Since starting full-time as an artist, how has your creative process evolved?

My creative process has evolved a lot now that I make art full time. In the beginning I would only work on one piece at a time and in the end rush myself to finish so I could start work on my next idea. Now I take my time with each artwork while keeping myself more engaged by switching from different projects. I also work more on a schedule and set aside time to plan and draw for a day or two then paint until I reach a stopping point.

Kennedy Lee, Dreamer’s Point Of View, 2023