KELSEY K. CONNER, AN ARTIST BASED IN INDIANAPOLIS
About
the expression of brutal femininity.
Utilizing a dance between soft and rigid materials, Kelsey explores domesticity and inner emotionalilty, turning traditionally feminine standards and iconography into unsettling yet comforting sculptures and installations. Her material choices are key in her work, providing an inscrutable personal touch. Her upbringing in an Indiana farm town influences these choices. Kelsey’s work focuses on dissecting, exploring, and reacting to events from her life, connecting to current political events and identity.
Kelsey creates three-dimensional forms that range from intimate to gargantuan. She weaves narratives within her work by incorporating subtle text with dynamic material layering. Kelsey juxtaposes traditionally “masculine” and “feminine” materials, creating an uncanny relationship between form and textures. Kelsey’s forms have soft curves or harsh lines, further pushing the barriers of traditional gendered boundaries.
photos courtesy of Clara Schuman
BIOGRAPHY
Kelsey K. Conner is an emerging multi-media artist and curator in Indianapolis, IN. She specializes in paper, fibers, and installation. Kelsey is in her third year at the Herron School of Art & Design, where she will earn her BFA in Sculpture with a minor in Art History and Book Arts in May 2026. Kelsey was awarded as one of the top 100 students of IU Indianapolis in 2025, along with being nominated as an Outstanding Student Achievement Award in Contemporary Sculpture through the International Sculpture Center. She plans to pursue an MFA in Sculpture and become a professor. In 2024, Kelsey participated in 11 exhibitions, including two internationally.
Kelsey is inspired by her lived experiences. Every piece she creates is incredibly intimate, all while connecting to a broad audience. Her work produces a unique, uncanny femininity that commands space and sparks a dialogue. For Kelsey, half of the artistic experience is seeing how viewers react to her expression through their lens.
In addition to her work as an artist, Kelsey is an instructor at The Indy Arts Center, where she shares her knowledge and passion with her community.
EXHIBITIONS
Kelsey has participated in several exhibitions, both as an artist and as a curator. Her passion is showcasing her art and others in a contemporary fashion, with a current exhibition in Indianapolis.
UPCOMING/CURRENT:
2025 College Art Invitational 2025, The Indy Art Center, Indianapolis, IN
PAST:
2025 SPLINTER, A Student Exhibition, The Eskenazi Fine Arts Center, Indianapolis, IN
2025 Inauguration Day, Herron School of Art and Design, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN
2024 Best of You, Garfield Arts Center, Indianapolis, IN
2024 Art & Sports Day Summer Fest, Ninety-Four Forty, Indianapolis, IN
2024 Big Gay Gallery, Mystery Fun Club, Indianapolis, IN
2024 Tarot: The Art of Fortune, The Washington Pavillion, The Schultz Gallery, Sioux Falls, SD
2024 Fanzineiest Vienna Art Fair, Vienna, Austria
2024 Herron Wearable Art Show, Eskenazi Fine Arts Center, Indiana University-Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN
2024 Waves, The Holy Art Gallery, London, United Kingdom
2024 Expanding Print, Eskenazi Fine Art Center, Indiana University, Indianapolis IN
2024 Ninety-Nine Forty Magazine, Indianapolis, IN
2024 Connecting Distances: Virtual Global Exchange International Exhibition, Co-curator, Marsh Gallery, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN
2024 Art and Sports Day, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN
2024 Femininity, Murphy Arts Center, Indianapolis, IN
2023 NASAD 10 Year Review, Eskenazi Fine Arts Center, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN
2023 Indy Gay Market, The Amp @ 16 Tech, Indianapolis, IN
2023 Touch Me: Art Beyond Sight, Eskenazi Fine Arts Center, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN
2023 What’s The Commotion (It’s Stop Motion), The Amp @ 16 Tech, Indianapolis, IN
2022 Herron Winter Market, Herron School of Art and Design, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN