Exhibitions 2024

In her exhibition Uplift at Accesso Galleria, the Italian-based American artist Kelly Robert, in her first solo show, will present an all new body of work consisting of twelve sculptures. Working in marble, clay, and bronze, she uses the human form to explore the spiritual and bodily impact of life-changing experiences. In the artist’s own words, the idea behind each piece “is a representation, in a way, of a transitional moment, where your life is forever impacted by what’s happening.” Each sculpture is an homage to such transformational shifts in being.

On the occasion of this important solo show, in addition to Robert’s sculptures in terra cotta and enamel, she is exhibiting works in marble and, for the first time, in bronze. Included in these is her largest work to-date: a sculpture in marble measuring 185 cm. In total, The exhibition will include three sculptures in various types of marble and stone, three in bronze and six in terra cotta and enamel.

The term “uplift” was chosen for the title for its relation to both the emotional and material dimension of her work. Like her figures, the organic materials with which she creates her sculptures once rose, under pressure, from the depths to present themselves in their current state. Uplift, in geology also known as tectonic uplift, is a process wherein pressure from within the earth forces subterranean rocks to move upward toward the surface. Once exposed to the elements, the rock on the earth’s surface erodes and the rock cycle begins again.  Uplift tends to occur when a continental plate meets resistance.

The title also encompasses the emotional significance of the word. Each work is intended to uplift the viewer, to recirculate back into the world some of the positive life-force and energy consumed to create, to evolve, to transform. As meditations on fortitude, tenacity, and adaptability, Robert’s sculptures reflect her conviction that “we may be frail, but we are also resilient. Our ability to jump into action as a preservation of life is a beautiful sign that we are adaptable and desire hope.” Under pressure, one can harness the energy and be thrust forward ( like a stone pushed upward from the depths of the earth), transformed, and ultimately, uplifted.

As the artist states: “ It is my hope that this body of work offers us an  insight into our resilience as humans just as we witness the Earth pushing itself forward in its uplift process. I want my work to remind us that even in the most difficult moments, we can push through and rise beyond what we perceive as holding us back.”

Born in Southern California, Robert studied Fine Arts on the East Coast where she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree at the Rhode Island School of Design in 2001. Subsequently, in 2020, she obtained her Master of Fine Arts degree from The New York Academy of Art where she was awarded several merit-based scholarships and sculpture residencies. In 2021, she moved to Massa-Carrara, Italy where she currently works in her studio tucked between the Apuane Alps and the Ligurian Sea.