Kelly Reemtsen

Interviews by Brainard Carey

Kelly Reemtsen (b. 1967, Flint, Michigan) is best known for her bright and bold paintings of women carrying household tools such as chainsaws or axes. Her work often investigates the role of the modern woman, deconstructing societal perceptions of gender, power and femininity.

Reemtsen’s paintings are characterized by their thick impasto, stark white backgrounds, and anonymous figures. Reemtsen is currently based in Los Angeles.

She studied fashion design and painting atCentral Michigan University and California State University Long Beach. Reemtsen has been involved with printmaking since the 1990s, studying etching and screen-printing in workshops and with educators across the United States.Kelly Reemtsen’s work has been exhibited widely in North America and is part of the Twentieth Century Fox and AT&T corporate collections.

Kelly Reemtsen, In The Spot Light, 2024, Oil on panel, 44 x 44 inches.

Kelly Reemtsen, Focal Points, 2024, Oil on panel, 60 x 60 inches.

Kelly Reemtsen, Soften the Blow, 2024, Dark walnut wood, faux fur, lacquer. Each Axe: 36 x 12 x 3 inches.