KELLYE PATRICE CARTER

Through my work, I examine the interplay of watercolors, acrylics, textiles, gemstones, and found objects to create richly layered mixed-media pieces.

 

What began as an early fascination for watercolor in high school has evolved into individual works and collections like the Adornment and Love Flowers series, where paint, fabric, beads, and stones transform painted surfaces into dimensional narratives.

​

At its core, my practice is about celebrating the Black life that I know—its resilience, beauty, and everyday grace. Each series is both a personal exploration and a collective reflection, honoring identity, tradition, and the quiet power of perseverance.

​

With Adornment (2017), I turned my focus to women, especially women of color, whose extraordinary strength often goes unrecognized.

​

The Love Flowers series draws deeply from my family’s legacy of gardening. Flowers are not mere beautifications, but embodiments of heritage and rootedness. Works like TurnUps and Easter Sunday Flowers weave memories, playfulness, and tradition into visual celebrations of love and care as acts of resistance and joy.

​

Across all of my works, I return to the way the Black people that I know and love show up in the world. I paint the sacredness of our beauty, defiance, and connection.

 

Where the world seeks to flatten or erase us, I layer, collage, and embellish our endurance.

 

My art is a testament to survival, and the determination to flourish.