A Kentucky native painter whose work explores intimacy, loss, and connection to nature.
My practice delves into the complexities of human intimacy, both romantic and familial.
John Paul Kesling was born and raised in Northeastern Kentucky in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. He received his BFA in Arts from Morehead State University and spent a summer in Europe studying art history. After receiving his MFA in Painting from the Savannah College of Art and Design, Kesling spent the next six years in Brooklyn, NY immersed in the NYC art scene.
While attending a month-long residency at the Vermont Studio Center, he realized how integral time, space and nature were to his studio practice, and relocated to Nashville, TN. Kesling's work has recently been featured in various group exhibitions and publications such as Red Arrow, CultureLab LIC, and Piano Craft Gallery to Flatwork Contemporary, I Like Your Work Podcast, ArtMaze Mag, and Create! Magazine. In 2022 he was accepted to the White Columns Curated Online Artist Registry (New York, NY) and his work was recently added to the Soho House Nashville's permanent collection.
