About the Artist: Maddy Keener is an acrylic painter based in Richmond, VA. She graduated summa cum laude and received degrees in Arts Administration and English from Goshen College, where she participated in numerous campus exhibitions, served as editor-in-chief of the school literary arts journal, and received awards and a scholarship for her drawings and paintings. Since graduating, she has exhibited in group shows around Richmond and Northern Virginia. Portraits are her main areas of focus, and, using friends and family as subjects, she seeks to capture human expression, power, and autonomy. When she's not painting portraits, she draws intricate floral studies to explore connections between flowers and childhood associations. She has a love for plants, patterns, textiles, glassware, and beautifully prepared food, all of which inspire her work. She is currently using her art to process and rely her experiences as a server working throughout the pandemic, and creates intricate and symbol-laden scenes of diners sharing meals in restaurants. I graduated from Goshen College in 2018 with degrees in Arts Administration and English. During my time there, I was awarded an art scholarship and several awards for drawing and painting. Since graduating, I have participated in numerous juried shows around Richmond and Northern Virginia, as well as online exhibitions. I sustain my business through taking on commissions, selling original work and prints, and serving and bartending.
Artist Statement: "My portraiture captures the nuances of human expression, strength, and the relationship between the subject and the viewer. The subjects in my paintings are all friends, family, or myself, so itis vital to represent them honestly and uniquely to their personhood. Growing up as a woman has made me aware that the ways society interacts with femininity can be disempowering. Femininity is utilized to gain societal footholds, but is constantly on view for public consumption. My discomfort with this accessibility, in juxtaposition with my identification with femininity, has culminated in portraiture that subverts the docile role of women in art. Instead of acting as objects up for appraisal, my subjects challenge the viewer, reclaiming occupied space with self-possession and power." ~ Maddy Keener
Available for Purchase: The original, $850 as well as A Reproduction of the Original 14" x 14" Acrylic on a Canvas
