About

Artist Statement
My portraits reflect on self presentation and the perceived identity of the subject. Each painting captures a suspended moment and creates a direct encounter, asking the viewer to meet the subject’s gaze and see them without distraction or defined narrative framing.
Clothing, along with the texture and patterns of its fabric, plays a significant role in my portraits. Sometimes appearing as everyday dress, other times as costume, these items are authentic to the subject. I observe the details of the garments as closely as the details of the face, seeing these personal markers as extensions of the body. These elements can exaggerate or obscure, creating tension between authenticity and performance, protection and vulnerability. I keep the surroundings minimal, stripping away unnecessary elements, to create a space where presence is felt.
The gaze of my subjects is central to my work. They often look directly at the viewer, creating an intimate, almost confrontational connection that presents a pared down and emotionally transparent portrayal, shaped through my perspective as painter. The direct gaze becomes a site of tension–steady and unguarded, asking to be seen and aware of being exposed. The direct eye contact suggests a quiet insistence on recognition. The expressions hold emotion, without dictating a single narrative. Instead, they leave space for interpretation and reflection.
Each portrait becomes an exchange —between artist and subject, subject and viewer. I am interested in capturing a quiet honesty: not just a likeness, but a presence—a fleeting moment that depicts the tension of being looked at and the vulnerability that accompanies that visibility. The paintings hold the moment where self presentation meets the desire to be seen




Bio
Kelly Anona Kerrigan is a figurative painter based in Boston, MA.
Originally from New Hampshire, she received her BFA in painting from Boston
University, and her MFA from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Her work has been shown in various venues throughout New England, and was featured in the 2006 New American Paintings MFA edition.

Kerrigan has done costume work and scene painting in Boston area theaters. She combines her interest in costume and clothing construction with her painting through use of pattern and depiction of garments and textiles. She has taught painting at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts. She currently lives and works in Boston’s Fort Point neighborhood