Kelly Boehmer

My soft sculptures display a tragic sense of humor, finding absurd beauty in anxieties. The teeth from upcycled taxidermy and gory visceral imagery are symbolic of emotional vulnerability. Glittery sheer fabrics and saturated faux fur “soften the blow,” making fears easier to confront. Iconic works from art history, such as the Unicorn Tapestries, Laocoön Group, Lion Hunt of Ashurbanipal, The Arnolfini Portrait, among others, often serve as a starting point for my work. An expressive mark-making is formed from my sewing aggressively by hand.