The Retrofuturista Art of Kemelyen
- El Kemelyen
- May 20
- 2 min read
My tagline, " Pretty Ugly Art that Makes You Feel Good!" is more than just a statement.
Kemelyen's pretty ugly art is quite pretty, …they say!
During lockdown, and spending most of the time at home, my partner asked me to paint something pretty to redecorate the home. Most of the artists that I know, including myself, are great at delivering jobs to their clients very quickly, but if we talk about finishing personal projects, Madre mía! Still, I'm working on a project (Lilit) that started about 25 years ago! Painting something for our home will take ages! unless… What if I paint something that personally makes me feel good, whether people like it or not, or they may say, –Gosh, that's pretty ugly!- So, where can I get my inspiration from? Well, in my childhood, my only concern was homework, but things like cheesy-kitsch Mexican wrestling movies, Hanna Barbera/ Pink Panther cartoons and 50's music always made me feel good. Everybody loves cartoons; it may not be a solemn still life fine art painting, but it will definitely make me feel good! My inspiration was sorted, now what technique should I use? Digital of course, mainly because drawing digitally will take less time than painting on a canvas. A framed giclée fine art print of this digital graphic will look very well at home. Finishing the very first illustration of this series took less than a week.
This way, the Retrofuturista Art of Kemelyen was born.
"Los Luchadores" 2023
You can buy your Giclée Fine Art Print of my very first Retrofuturista collection. A3 Size - Open Edition NZD$150
A2 Size -Limited Edition NZD$390
Basically my Retrofuturista inspirations are:
Mexican wrestling movies, Cartoons, 50s lounge music, the Bauhaus School legacy, (Modernism, functionality, affordability and Design), Retro SITCOM TV shows and mid-century TV commercials, graphic style from the Cold War, corny home decorations, everyday products and brands from my childhood.
Making pretty people feel good
From the time the very first illustration was made, many other cheesy iconoclastic ideas turned into acrylic/watercolour paintings and quirky animated art for digital canvas, making myself, friends and customers feel good.
Why not treat yourself to feeling good, too?
Have a look at the current artworks available online or come to my Studio in Auckland Central, New Zealand, to see in person some of the pretty ugly artworks that might make you feel good.
Kemelyen
Gallery Studio
Shop 21
Queens Arcade 34-40, Queens St.
Auckland CBD
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