Kelly Feltault

Artist Statement

My work explores ways of knowing—how we come to understand the world, and how those ways of knowing shape what is seen, valued, and controlled. I return repeatedly to fish, insects, plant forms, and fragments of the body, drawing from the visual language of scientific illustration. These images feel familiar, even trustworthy. But I’m interested in what sits underneath that familiarity.

Historically, drawing was one of the first ways we made sense of the natural world. We looked closely, sketched what we saw, and noticed patterns. Over time, those drawings became systems—used to name, classify, and organize life. In my work, I think about how those systems didn’t just describe the world; they also helped reshape it. Plants, animals, and even bodies became objects to study, collect, and manage.

Through layering, stitching, and fragmentation, I interrupt that sense of order. I combine scientific imagery with texture, textiles, and organic materials to suggest other ways of knowing; ones that are less fixed, more relational, and more open to change. The work holds both curiosity and tension: the desire to understand, and the cost of that understanding.
This series reflects a long throughline in my practice, even before I had language for it.

By bringing together art, science, and lived experience, I’m asking: What happens when we loosen the systems that taught us how to see? What if knowing wasn’t about fixing things in place; what if it could remain fluid, layered, and alive to hold memory?