Statement
As an artist, I see the complex interconnectedness that we all share as scattered fragments of personal experiences and perceptions that continuously gather throughout history. Much of my work is formed from how I view fragments and fragmentation – the isolated and incomplete parts that make up a whole. Each of us can create our own perception of reality by editing, rewriting, or omitting fragments from our own history. In my paintings, the interaction between fragments – both literal and metaphorical – are reflected in dense flecks of color, light against dark, muted against vivid. These flecks come together to create an image that is simultaneously unified and fractured, reflecting both the alienation of the subject and the unity of the subject and society.
Biography
Kiley Ames lives and works in Los Angeles and Oakland, CA. She received her BA in History from UCLA, a BFA from Art Center College of Design and an MFA from the New York Academy of Art. Ames has been awarded residencies in Beijing and Shanghai as well as Leipzig, Germany. She is the recipient of multiple grants including the Barbara Deming Memorial Grant, Not Real Art Grant, Leslie T. and Frances U. Posey Foundation and the Vermont Studio Center. In addition to her own studio practice, she was a freelancer at Annie Leibovitz Studio for almost ten years. Recent exhibitions include her first museum exhibition, Figures, at the American University Museum in Washington, D.C., In the Labyrinth, New York University Kimmel Galleries, It Figures: The Body in Art, Arc Gallery, Chicago ILL; States of Reality, Gallery 66, Cold Springs, NY, Postcards from the Edge, Sikkema Jenkins Gallery, New York, One Year of Resistance, The Untitled Space, New York, Facing Contemporary Issues at The Tides Galleries, San Francisco, Purely Abstract, at Kavanagh Gallery, Illinois, Gesture and Motion at Site:Brooklyn, New York, and was selected to create a public work for the Los Angeles Metro, More People Than You Know. She recently published her first monograph, “Fighting the Good Fight: A Breast Cancer Journey.”
Resume / CV
EDUCATION
2011 MFA Painting, New York Academy of Art, New York, NY
2005 BFA Illustration, Art Center College of Design, Los Angeles, CA
2001 Italian Language, University of California at Berkeley, CA ,
2001 Lorenzo, D’Medici Art Institute, Art History Concentration, Florence, IT
1999 BA History, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2017 “In the Labyrinth”, Kimmel Galleries, New York, NY
EXHIBITIONS
2023
“Women in Art”, Las Laguna Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
“Glasgow 2023”, Sogo Arts Gallery, Glasgow, Scotland
“The Story of Us”, Visionary Projects, New York, NY
2022
“Small Works, Big Talent”, Las Laguna Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
“Pictures of People”, de Young Museum, online exhibit, San Francisco, CA
“23rd Annual Wills Creek Exhibition”, Saville Gallery, Cumberland, MD
“Human Form and Figure,” SCORE’s, Encino, CA
“Inspired By….”, Rod Briggs Memorial gallery, Long Beach, CA
“Portrait International Juried Competition”, Li Tang Gallery, NY, NY
“Hologram: The Whole Story”, The Wall Art Gallery, Miami, FL
“Postcards From the Edge,” Ortuzar Projects, New York, NY
2021 “Every Woman Biennial”, Superchief NFT Gallery, Nyew York, NY
“More People Than You Know”, Los Angeles Metro, Los Angeles, CA
2020
“Gesture and Motion”, Site: Brooklyn, Brookly, NY
“ Facing Contemporary Issues”, The Tides Galleries, San Francisco, CA
“ Purely Abstract”, Kavanagh Gallery, St.Charles, IL
“ Postcards From the Pandemic”, Beard and Weil Galleries, Norton, MA
“Postcards From the Edge,” New York, NY
2019
“Color Dimensions”, LA Art Show, Kwanhoon Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
“Postcards from the Edge”, Bortolami Gallery, New York, NY
“EvE: Empowerment vs. Exploitation”, Warehouse416 Gallery, Oakland, CA
“Women in Art 2019”, Las Laguna Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
“ Wish You Were Here 19”, A.I.R Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
“ Converge”, Beacon Arts Building, Inglewood, CA
“ Art + Movement, Gear Box Gallery, Oakland, CA
2018
“Figures”, American University Museum, Washington, D.C., Four Person Exhibit
“Painting in the 21st Century”, Site: Brooklyn, Brooklyn, NY
“Figure Study-Hidden Story”, Healdsburg Center for the Arts, Healdsburg, CA
“Below the Surface”, 440 Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
“One Year of Resistance”, The Untitled Space, New York, NY
“Postcards from the Edge”, Gallery 524, New York, NY
“HOPE”, Vancelette Signature Project Takeover, New York, NY
“Transformations”, Gallery MC, New York, NY
2017
“Gowanus Artists Group Exhibition”, 313 Butler Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
“An Annual Affair”, West Chelsea Arts Buidling, New York, NY
“Single Fare 4”, Highline Stages, New York, NY
2016
“Postcards from the Edge”, Sikkema Jenkins Gallery, New York, NY
“Anthropoceneans”, New Hope Art Center, New Hopes, PA
“It Figures: The Body in Art”, ARC Gallery, Chicago, IL
“States of Reality”, Gallery66, New York, NY
2015
“Hot Dry Men…Cold Wet Women”, Mark Milller Gallery, New York, NY
“6x6x2015”, Rochester Contemporary Art Center, New York, NY
“Elephant Haven”, Virtue, Rosebery’s, London, England
“Auto-Chemistry”, Hollows Artspace, Brooklyn, NY
“Wish You Were Here”, A.I.R Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2014
“Interpreted Bodies: Sculpture and Form”, Kimmel Galleries, New York University, NY
“Alchemy and Metaphysics”, Trestle Gallery, Brooklyn
“Gute Nachrichten aus der Halle 14/Benefiz-Auktion”, Halle 14, Leipzig, Germany,
2013
“Ninth Annual Small Works Show”, 440 Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
“Beethoven Festival: LOVE”, Merit School of Music, Chicago, ILL
“The First Settlers” Halle 14, 1. OG, Spinnerei, Leipzig, Germany
“Lacunae”, Halle 14, 1.OG, Spinnerei, Leipzig, Germany
“Icb Setze den Fuss in die Luft, und sie trug”, Museum Lytke, Leipzig, Germany,
“Swipe Again”, Single Fare 3, RH Gallery, NY
“ Mutatis Mutandis”, Halle 14, 1.OG, Spinnerei, Leipzig, Germany
2012
“Take Home a Nude”, Sotheby’s, ,New York, NY, Group Show/Art Auction
“Kunst + Kapital”, Westpol, Leipzig, Germany
“A Good Cup of Hope”, Spinnerei Halle 14, 1.OG, Leipzig, Germany
“Summer Exhibition”, Flowers Gallery, New York, NY
“The Cave”, Front Runner Gallery, New York, NY
2011
“Mutual Vision: Six Young Sino-American Artists Exhibition”, MOUart, Beijing, China,
“Summer Exhibition”, Flowers Gallery, New York, NY
“First Impressions & Formative Experience”, Mediala Rack & Hamper Gallery, New York, NY
“Uncharted”, MFA Thesis Exhibition, New York Academy of Art, New York, NY
“Single Fare 2, Please Swipe Again”, Sloan Fine Art, New York, NY
College Art Association, Hunter College, New York, NY
2010
“Summer Exhibition”, Wilkinson Gallery, New York Academy of Art, New York, NY
“Single Fare”, Brooklyn, NY
2009 “Fellow’s Pix”, New York Academy of Art, New York, NY
2006 “Young Blood”, Billy Shire Fine Arts, Culver City, CA
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2022-present New Masters Academy, Art Coach/Instructor, Los Angeles, CA
2019-present West Hollywood Masters Swim Team, Coach, Los Angeles, CA
1998-1999/ 2002-2009
2019-2021 Futures Academy, Painting/Drawing Instructor, Pasadena, CA
2009-2018 Annie Leibovitz Studio, Archive assistant, visual and creative research for shoots, production and post-production, Personal assistant, New York, NY
2014 Mary Howard Studio, visual and creative resarch, set design and production, New York, NY
2003-2010 Art Center College of Design, At Night and Saturday High, Pasadena, CA
Art Instructor: Introduction to Drawing, substitute for Composition and Drawing,
Painter’s Process Workshop, Figure Drawing, Teaching Assistant for Digital
Design 1 and 2, Drawing for Illustration, Analytical Figure Drawing
2006-2008 Brentwood Art Center, Instructor, Intro to figure drawing, painting, mixed media, Brentwood, CA
2007 Portfolio One, Freelance production on shoots including photographers Annie Leibovitz, and Walter Chin, Los Angeles, CA
2006 Annie Leibovitz Studio Internship, New York, NY
2001-2002 California College of Arts and Crafts, Director’s Assistant for the Center for Art and Public Life Oakland, CA
SELECTED HONORS AND AWARDS
2022 Not Real Artist Grant, Los Angeles, CA
2021 Los Angeles Metro Recipient – K Line (Crenshaw/LAX Project), Los Angeles, CA
2017 Vermont Studio Center Residency, Grant Recipient, Johnson, VT
2013 Artist Grant, Money for Women/Barbara Deming Memorial Fund, Wilton, NH
2012 Artist in Residence, Pilotenkueche, Halle 14 Spinnerei, Leipzig, Germany
2011 Artist in Residence, Central Academy of Fine Arts Residency, Beijing, China and Shanghai University of Fine Arts, Shanghai China, in Conjunction with the CAFA Museum Biennial, awarded by New York Academy of Art, New York, NY
2010 Artist Grant, Leslie T. and Frances U. Posey Foundation, Sarasota, FL
Portrait Scholarship, Grant from Peter Lewis and Janet Rosel, New York, NY
New York Academy of Art, Merit Scholarship, New York, NY
2009 New York Academy of Art, Merit Scholarship, New York, NY
2005 Art Center College of Design, Graduated with Distinction, Dean’s List (2002-2005), Scholarship , Williamson Gallery (2004-2005), Pasadena, CA
1999 University of California at Los Angeles, Graduated Cum Laude, Dean’s List
(1994-1999)
UCLA Swim Team (1994-1998), Co Captain of Swim Team (1997-1998)
