Louella Kennedy is a Melbourne based artist who is currently studying Illustration at Melbourne Polytechnic. Louella’s style and subject has evolved over time and her latest work explores issues surrounding feminism and art. Louella is influenced in blurring the line between fine art and craft, challenging crafts association with women and femininity to erode the distinction between high and low art. She often uses icons commonly associated with women such as floral decorations, hearts, patterns and colours generally prescribed to the female domain. Louella aims to challenge representations of women’s consciousness through such imagery.
The women depicted in her works also invite the viewer to question traditional female roles whether the subject be in the act of domesticity, painting, posing as a decorative object, embedded in dreamscapes or a portrait gazing directly at the viewer. The work is intended to challenge and question ways of looking, seeing and being seen that is particular to women. Louella is conscious that she cannot see from anyone else’s gaze that she cannot speak for others however she wants her work to raise questions and the viewer to reflect upon the use of art to reflect women’s own sense of themselves.
Louella’s latest works are gouache on acetate and the medium allows her to play with shadows created by the application of paint. The process involves working in reverse so fine details must be put down first and small areas must be completely finished before moving on. Often she starts with the white of an eye and the last areas to be painted are the larger backgrounds. Louella often deliberately leaves areas blank to allow the transparency of the surface to show and for shadows to form when the image is framed.
Louella has exhibited in solo and joint exhibitions around Melbourne. Her work has won awards and been produced onto various merchandise.
Louella established and ran a successful Art Workshop business catering for preschoolers to adults with a focus on art for mindfulness and wellbeing. She was also a Creative Director for Jellybean Street an international company transforming workshop participants art into fine art for online sale to raise money for children’s charities.
Louella previously sold her work online through Saatchi Art and Redbubble as well as through Colour Space Gallery and directly from my website. She is currently curating older works and creating new pieces which will be available for purchase soon via the website, Saatchi Art and Redbubble. So watch this space.