Kelly Devitt
Artist Statement
The human body is a container. It holds precious elements that give life, but it also encloses inner thoughts and emotions that are created by the individual. Skin is the ultimate protector of the body. It shields the inside from harmful diseases and protects from the abrasive elements that are looking to cause harm. Skin is a window, allowing those that live beyond to simply gaze inside and experience the information that is meant to be private. In moments of embarrassment, anger, and happiness, the skin displays this information for all to see, often betraying the permission of the individual wearing it.
I create ceramic sculpture that portrays daily rituals in preserving skin as well as the moments when emotion is being translated using one’s skin. Skin is often on the receiving end of harmful actions that are triggered by anxiety and internal thoughts. The application of creams, serums and ointments are done in a ritualistic as well as a compulsive manner to ease pain and involuntary itching.
Bio
Kelly Devitt is a ceramic artist who lives and works as an instructor of art at Southwestern Community College in Creston, IA. Her work explores the translation of emotion through one’s skin. She uses the ceramic vessel as a representation of the human body in both direct and ambiguous forms. The surface of the works are relatable and familiar, drawing viewers close to question what lies beneath the threshold that is the surface of the body.
Devitt received her Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Integrated Studio Arts in 2017 from Iowa State University and her Master of Fine Arts in Ceramics at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth in 2022. Most recently Kelly has been selected as a 2025/2026 Iowa Artist Fellow, exhibited in group shows at the PS1 Gallery, Octagon Center for the Arts, and Mainframe (IA). Devitt has also exhibited nationally in spaces such as the Historic Yellow Spring (PA) Fresh Eye Gallery (MN) Center for the Visual Arts (WI) and the Woman Made Gallery (IL). In 2024 she held two solo exhibitions, Ritual at the Pearson Lakes Art Center (IA) and Mixed Emotions at the Octagon Center for the Art (IA).