Keeper of Precious Things

Kelsey Bowen grew up in the rural California foothills, spending hot, dusty summers making up stories and picking thistles from her socks. Her figurative sculptures serve as vessels for her self-reflection and storytelling in clay; inspired by memories from her youth and interactions with her peers as an adult. While often dark in concept, her pieces build an unsettling and surreal landscape where the viewer is both comforted and disturbed; encouraging closer inspection through friendly colors and playful characters before delivering an unsettling detail. She received her BFA in Ceramics from the California College of the Arts, going on to continue creating work as a Long-term artist in residence at the Red Lodge Clay Center in Montana. Kelsey has exhibited her work in various corners of the West Coast from L.A. to Oregon, Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming. She is currently working as a professional artist, part-time educator, and sketchbook doodler in Western Montana.