Xavier Kelley
Xavier Kelley’s abstract and saturated artistic style has evolved from a childhood practice of sketching graffiti in blackbooks with his cousin, transitioning to the canvas more heavily in 2019. Kelley likens his artistic practice to that of a music producer sampling records of various time periods and places to craft new soundscapes. Afrofuturism is a powerful theme in Kelley’s work as a primary creative focus for him is examining and reimagining historical lexicons and iconography. Time travel, quantum physics, and abstract scientific concepts are heavily researched, sampled, and referenced in Kelley’s creative process. The result is the construction of a greater narrative throughout his pieces, a deviation from the linear concept of time. By stepping into this perspective, Kelley hopes viewers are inspired to open their minds to varying interpretations of the human experience, unlocking potential for an emergent understanding of the future. The burgeoning of this multi-dimensional world that Kelley inhabits in his art has been catalyzed by a specific biological subject: The Jumper’s Foot. The Jumper’s Foot, present throughout Kelley’s work as a visual motif, represents the athletic form, technique, movement, and planning required for marginalized people to move up in contemporary society. Certain groups are not afforded the privilege to maneuver society flat-footed, metaphorically speaking. Marginalized people in contrast are kept on their toes, requiring the power and agility of the Jumper’s Foot to leap from low to high.