Artist’s Statement
Influenced by eastern belief systems , my work is an invitation to become fully present, fully alive as the viewer discovers the wonder and magic of life in a single moment.
My work explores, questions, re-examines, and forges meaning in order to connect with and engage the viewer. It is rooted in lived experiences, memories, and personal perspectives.
Since my early field research in West Africa, I used biomorphic, abstract language in my sculptures, drawings, and paintings.
More recently, I have chosen a representational approach to ensure clarity of message. I have developed a new body of work: narrative paintings that chronicle contemporary social and cultural issues, drawing from personal memories and complex compositions.
Since 2022, my series of inside/outside paintings has developed through the use of imagery drawn from the “everyday.” The intent of this series is rooted in an exploration of perception, based on observation of the ephemeral and imperfect world hidden in plain sight. These paintings offer a layered inside/outside perspective that I first began to explore at home, looking through windows and observing the outside world and architectural interiors.
As this series emerged, I found myself contemplating familiar vistas that suddenly took on new significance. Whether immersed in the soft hues of dawn or dusk, I sought to capture the fleeting natural light that subtly transformed these scenes. The outside view became entwined with reflections of interior spaces, both seamlessly integrated within the same frame. As the work evolved, it grew in complexity, with exterior views and interior reflections weaving together into compositions that invite exploration and engagement. The paintings present themselves as puzzles for the viewer to unravel the hidden treasures and mysteries that surround us. The series uses the window as a metaphor; examining the exterior world in relation to the inner self.
These paintings serve as a conduit conveying intricacy through simplicity—a tactile connection to place, both literal and metaphorical.
Artist’s Biography
Brigid Kennedy (b. Buffalo, NY) is an artist living in Wethersfield, CT whose current focus is painting. Kennedy earned her BA at the University of Toronto, her BFA from SUNY Buffalo, and her MFA at Yale University, School of Art.
Kennedy's work is in the collections of The Burchfield Penney Art Center (Buffalo, NY); The New Britain Museum of American Art/NBMAA (New Britain, CT); Pratt Institute, Brooklyn (New York, NY); and Trinity College (Hartford, CT).
Her solo exhibitions include The Castellani Museum (Niagara University, NY); Gallery on The Green (Canton, CT); ArtWalk/Hartford Public Library, (Hartford, CT); Five Points Gallery (Torrington, CT); Ely Center of Contemporary Art, (New Haven, CT); and Sculptors’ Guild, ‘State of Play’ installation, (Governors Island, NY).
Recent group exhibitions include Zurcher Gallery’s ‘100 Women of Spirit’, (NYC), Carrie Haddad Gallery ‘If These Walls Could Talk’ (Hudson, NY), Silvermine Galleries, 74th and 75th A-ONE Exhibitions (New Canaan, CT); NBMAA Nor’Easter 2024 (New Britain, CT); The Flinn Gallery (Greenwich, CT); The Mattatuck Museum (Waterbury, CT); Carriage Trade Gallery, Odetta Gallery, Prince Street Gallery, and The Painting Center, (all NYC).
Kennedy’s artistic contributions have been recognized with these awards: Greater Hartford Arts Council’s Individual Artist Fellowship Grant, Fulbright Scholar Lecture/Research Award in Chile, Connecticut State Commission on the Arts, Artists Project Grant, Pollock-Krasner Foundation Award, three NEA Visual Artists Grants, and residencies at Yaddo and MacDowell.