Kevin Calixte
Montréal, CanadaBiography
Born in Montréal, Kevin Calixte is a visual artist specialized in art photography, who lives and works in his hometown. Having first studied in the psychosocial field, he started his photography career in 2015 as a self-taught artist. Throughout his trajectory, Kevin has perfected his unique technique and developed his critical and aesthetic approach.
His work explores the subject of emotional, physical, mental and spiritual balance in citizens of the western world. His practice centres around how an individual’s state of equilibrium affects their interpersonal relationships. His work fits into the context of relational art, and questions the complexity of societal equilibrium linked to human connections.
Since 2015, the artist has worked on many exhibition projects, including Pierre fragile, a photographic project in which humanity and mineral matter are presented as both harmonious and contrasting. To achieve this, he created compositions that are decontextualized through a shooting technique that accentuates textures, colours, and photographic materials.
A recipient of a 2018 ARTCH scholarship as an emerging artist, and of an emerging artist travel grant from the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec in 2017, his work has been part of solo and group exhibitions in Canada, the United States and Senegal. He has shown work at Montréal’s City hall, L’Artothèque, Centre d’Artistes Voix Visuelle in Ottawa, Galerie Éthiopiques in Saint-Louis (Senegal), SOFA art fair in Chicago, and at the Affordable Art Fair in New York.
About the artwork
“I am interested in the question of emotional, physical, mental and spiritual balance amongst citizens. In the context of this research, I aim to translate how, in the western world, the individual equilibrium of a person affects their interpersonal relationships.
My work fits into the context of relational art. I am inspired by discussions with citizens, who I meet in the context of a selection process. I ask them questions about how they evaluate their equilibrium in the various parts of their lives. The sound recordings of these exchanges enable me to question the complexity of societal equilibrium currently inherent in human relationships. While listening to these recordings, I explore different cities for inspiration to create my photographs.
I alternate between social psychology and social challenges in the news to address questions relating to the overall mental, physical and social health of citizens. Through exhibiting a mix of perceptions in my bodies of work, I invite the viewer, in turn, to question themself on these social issues.
In this series, I have photographed fragments drawn from rock formations in different cities of the province of Québec. I present the rocks as at once a reflection of society by a Québecois citizen and one’s own reflection. I compare the robust mineral matter of the rock to the fragile engine of our society: the citizen.
My works are presented in the form of series of conceptual images characterized by the allegorical universes that they convey. My subjects are decontextualized through my compositions and shooting techniques. The polychrome nature of my photographs, focus on textures, photographic materials, and black halo encompassing my subjects are combined to bring out the essence and intrinsic nature of the work.”
Artworks by the artist
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