The FolkArtwork Collective Returns To The Outsider Art Fair
Outsider Art Fair, here comes the FolkArtwork Collective. Again!
I am extremely proud and excited to be heading back to New York City to return to the Outsider Art Fair with a new roster of artists and some stunning must-see artwork to take part in the 34th edition of the Outsider Art Fair.
Since the start of FolkArtwork over seven years ago, every experience has led up to this point. A lot of big swings, tons of experiments — it’s all been life-changing, and each experience has been a true blessing as I’ve enjoyed every minute since the moment FolkArtwork was born. What started with an Instagram account sharing daily folk, self-taught, visionary, and outsider art, evolved into a blog, a newsletter, and now the FolkArtwork Collective, a group of self-taught artists from around the globe.
Esteban Whiteside being photographed by Raw Vision Magazine
The FolkArtwork Collective is delighted to highlight American artist Reneesha Mccoy and Haitian-born artist working out of Chicago Day Brièrre; Canadian folk artist Jackie Bradshaw, inspired heavily by their country’s landscapes; Jersey artist Kay Le Seelleur Ara, who, in her 80’s, paints every day some of the most beautiful surreal images around, and Italian-based artist Pam Puck, who sculpts some humorous works of art that you won’t want to miss.
All will be featured in person, as well as an eclectic range of vibrant artworks from artists past and present, similar to what you will find on the FolkArtwork Instagram and “This Week in Outsider Art” newsletter.
Of course, none of this would even be possible if it weren’t for the constant love and support of Caroline Oestreich, the encouragement of my parents, Mark and Julie Oestreich, the help of my brother Nick Oestreich, and all these amazing artists for trusting in me to be a part of their artistic journey.
Learn more about the artists whose new, and some never-before-seen artwork will be on display, catch it all in Booth C4 at this year’s Outsider Art Fair, starting Thursday, March 1,9th and concluding Sunday, March 22nd.
KAY LE SEELLEUR ARA (b. 1941) was born in the United Kingdom, with herr artistic story began under unusual circumstances. Her mother had been evacuated from the island of Jersey just before the Nazi invasion, and Kay spent her early childhood in wartime Britain before returning to Jersey in 1945 after liberation.
A naturally curious child, Kay was drawn to drawing from the start, and her talent blossomed early. She studied at Bath Academy of Art from 1958–1962, learning from British art icons such as Howard Hodgkin, Adrian Heath, Henry Cliffe, and Gillian Ayres.
After graduating, she moved to London, where she taught art while raising her two children – continuing to paint when time and life allowed.
“Kay paints and draws non-stop. Every time I visit, there are more paintings piled up. Sometimes I worry she spends too much time alone, but she’s having a ball posting to Instagram and talking to like-minded people from Australia to Japan.” — Rachel Ara, Kay’s daugther
But it wasn’t until much later, after a life-altering fall in 2017 left her unable to walk unaided, that Kay’s creative fire was fully unleashed. The accident that caused Kay’s disability also became the defining turning point in her artistic journey. No longer tethered to the demands of everyday life, Kay turned inward – establishing a daily drawing and painting routine that transformed her home in Trinity, Jersey, into the heart of an astonishingly prolific practice.
PAM PUCK (b. 1990) is a self-taught artist based in Ferrara, Italy. She works as a teacher and spends the rest of her time sculpting and drawing.
Her work combines depictions of monsters, demons, aliens, self-portraits, and imagery from ancient art to create scenes that combat hopelessness with humor. By creating simplified figures, incorporating erotic elements, and using vibrant color palettes, Puck creates a unique symbolic language that’s deceptive in its playfulness.
Her sculptures are equal parts menacing and comforting, and the often comical scenes they depict invite others to become voyeurs as she explores issues related to mental health, sexuality, otherness, and conflicting identities.
Puck has shown her work in the United States and Europe, with shows at Gallery Nucleus, Portland, OR; Wonder Gallery, Rome, Italy; The Others Art Fair, Turin, Italy; Roma Arte in Nuvola, Rome, Italy; Spoke Art, San Francisco, CA; Well Well Projects, Portland, OR; Chinatown Soup, New York, NY; and Autonomni Kulturni Centar, Zagreb, Croatia.
DAY BRIÈRRE (b.1994) is a Haitian-born and Chicago-based multimedia artist and storyteller. Her visual palette derives inspiration from Afro-indigenous myths and folklore, utilizing textures through her illustrations to delve into themes of homeland, memories, and the dreamscape. She seeks to blend tradition with contemporary perspectives to produce works that transcend time and culture. Studying Chemistry in college, once moving to the United States after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake devastated Haiti in January of 2010, her work is guided by these formulas, experiments, and mistakes, and is rooted in rupture and repair.
“I use a vibrant color palette, simplistic forms, and religious symbolism as a nod to my catholic upbringing in Port-au-Prince. Additionally, I aim to portray the unseen realities and mythical aspects of the black female identity by crafting narrative vessels and two-dimensional works.” — Day Brièrre
RENEESHA MCCOY (b. 1989) is a self-taught artist who began her artistic practice in 2019, living and working in North Carolina. Working primarily in acrylics and oil pastels, she often explores of various mediums like colored pencil, ink, and paint markers.
A principal theme in Reneesha’s work is her celebration of the consequences of life and nature. Primarily in relation to the female body, her work is uniquely abstract. She uses her personal experience to highlight the internal and external effects of childbirth. Particularly the physical changes that occur from breastfeeding.
Reneesha’s artistic process involves studying the anatomy of the female form and challenging herself to present her interpretation in new and conceptual ways.
JACKIE BRADSHAW (b. 1981) is a neurodivergent, folk artist from Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. She spent years working as a PSW until the birth of her son prompted her to start a small home daycare.
During this time, she utilized leftover paint from the kids to create mirror-image paintings. She added ink or crayon to extract images from the splatters of paint that she perceived. Becoming deeply engrossed in this process, she produced hundreds of paintings. Jackie has continued creating art as a means to quiet her mind and body.
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