Kezleigh
New Media Artist
"At the core of every human, a soul is processing what the conscious mind is living."
Bio
Kezleigh, also known as Amy Merritt grew up in Muskoka, Ontario.
Art was her favourite subject in school.
During tumultuous young adulthood, she fell into self-preservation and drifted through life, working various jobs. Fate or luck brought her to sign up for the very first Integrated Design course at the Haliburton School of Art + Design, spearheaded by Barr Gilmore. There she learned design and digital mediums. It wouldn’t be until COVID when she lost her current dead-end job, struggling, that she came back to art and found digital painting.
She made a promise to herself that she wouldn’t stop pursuing her art career.
Kezliegh self-expresses herself through dreams and memories. She feels that at the core of every human, a soul is processing what the conscious mind is living. Her work features bright colours and organic shapes. She uses acrylic glass and UV- printed ink to present these ideas in the tangible world. She often uses multiple panels to create pieces that are fluid and integrate into the space seamlessly. Her art is heavily influenced by her background in design and her interest in nostalgia.
Most recently, she was part of the Artist Project in Toronto, ON. She’s been featured in galleries such as the Arta Gallery, Hazelton Fine Art Galleries, The Propeller Art Gallery, and Gallery 1313.
She has shown work nationally and internationally.
Studio Practise
"I have a unique way of expressing my work. It took a few years to develop the process I have now. It’s forever changing and I like that about my art.
I don’t have a linear way of working or even have much of a studio. Most of my work is done intuitively and when I’m in flow states. I’m usually sitting on the floor, wherever that may be, listening to music.
I work on my tablet and computer, using various software programs. Jumping from one project to another, from tablet to computer. Each piece takes anywhere from a week to a month before I feel it’s ready to be finalized. When finalizing, I create die-lines and tweak colours to be printer-ready. I then send it off to a specialized print shop that UV-laser-inks the work onto acrylic glass. It’s cut on the die-lines and finished with a one-inch backer and claw-tooth hangers. The work appears to float on the walls when installed.
Most of my art is multi-paneled, meaning there is more than one piece to the overall work. Right now (as of 2023), I am working on adding panels on top of existing panels, creating a 3D look and more depth.
Shortly, I plan on thermoforming (think plastic mold forms) pieces for texture and adding even more depth.”
