Into The Mystic by Vincent Kelly at the Egg Café is a striking adventure in colour, documenting the artists’ travels around Mexico and North America, looking at landmark, colour and how cultural identity is held onto, particularly in Oaxaca.
Animals, adorned in the typical colours of Mexican folk art, offer resonance to the Day of the Dead, which falls conveniently into this exhibition slot. While subject is kept vague in this particular series, the artist does note themes of artefact, myth and identity.
That much is clear, but then clinging on in the distance of each work is urban space, industry and modern life. So there’s a question; is this a critique of modern life impacting on traditional values, or a celebration of how traditions retain their space within industrial spaces?
Honestly, I don’t know what position this takes, and it might be neither, but Vincent Kelly’s work is a joy to view, with expressive illustration overlining a base of accomplished academic drawing skills.
Into The Mystic is a small exhibition in a cosy space, but grabs you and pulls you away from conversations in the best possible way.
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Vinent Kelly: Into The Mystic is open at The Egg Café until 17th November 2024
Words, Kathryn Wainwright