05/07/2026
Inferna | Adam Kelley
Adam Kelley was born and raised in Providence RI. While pursuing his BFA at University of Massachusetts Amherst, Kelley kept a focus in manual print disciplines, particularly silkscreen and woodblock printing. Kelley’s print media work continued following graduation at the AS220 printshop, where he was a volunteer and instructor for several years. Kelley has always maintained a steady art and design practice and has been commissioned to make original works for local organizations and businesses such as Bolt Coffee, PVD Fest, The Avenue Concept, and Figidini to name a few.
About the Show
Inferna is a series of paintings based on iPad drawings. Digital drawing allows for a particularly carefree mindset when creating. It requires the least precious material and removes the constraints of physical scale. Each drawing in this series was made quickly and intuitively.
Kelley plucked a collection of drawings from this digital garden and brought them to life in paint. Despite approaching each painting with a distinct plan, they all inevitably yield the fruit of unexpected discovery upon completion.
Inferna means below or underneath. In making this work, Kelley strove to leverage nonrepresentational images to reveal what may be hiding in his subconscious through color and shape. In sharing these paintings, we invite you to be open to what curiosities or feelings you might access just under the surface of your awareness.
