When Portland-based artist Forest Wolf Kell was asked what inspired his work, he answered everything.
“It’s hard to explain because I don’t know if inspired is the right word,” Kell said. “It’s kind of like compelled. It’s like throwing up or something—it’s putting myself there, and then you interpret it as you do.”
Kell renders this sentiment in illustration. Canvases are brimming with seemingly arbitrary subjects, layered and interwoven into intricate collages—a weeping statue, an emaciated dog, a faceless pregnant woman, a shattered skull.
“I work with a large collection of imagery,” Kell said. “I kind of free-associate through that body of imagery and use that as reference.”
One Grand Gallery is currently exhibiting Kell’s illustrations under the title Mirrors. The viewer’s relative perception of the works centers on the show’s title, wherein interpreting the art requires introspection.
“I’m not trying to project any sort of narrative,” Kell said. “I don’t want to have an overt perspective on anything… Anything that I create is a self-portrait in a way, but also anyone that’s viewing that artwork—the narrative that they glean from it is a reflection of them.”
The collection is made entirely with black china marker—a wax pencil named as such because of its traditional use in marking porcelain china during manufacturing.
Kell explained his choice of medium as a means of conveying a certain authenticity and impressionism. “I leave the smudges of my hand and the smudges of my fingers,” he said. “I wanted some of that rawness and imperfection.”
Mirrors showcases a dream-like visual intricacy—surreal and abstract, yet intimately familiar.
The city of Portland is no stranger to Kell’s work either. The artist is an iconic fixture of Portland’s local art scene. With public murals all over Portland—from cafes and barbershops to bars and underpasses—the artist’s work has truly colored the city.
Kell explained how his practice originated as public street art and evolved into the multidisciplinary practice it is today. “I began my art practice in the realm of graffiti,” he said. “I did that for quite some time up here [in Portland], ended up getting caught, going to jail, and I had to pursue other things obviously after that.”
Kell moved to Portland after graduating high school, originally from a small town in southern Oregon called Rogue River. “It was kind of the only logical, doable place I could go,” he said. “I wanted to leave where I came from, and Portland was the exciting place to be.”
After graduating from Portland State in 2017 with a Bachelor of Art degree, Kell co-founded an artist-centered streetwear brand called Last Bus Club. The company functioned as a collaborative of artists, with proceeds funding local art events and exhibitions curated by Kell. Kell said the intention behind the company was “to foster that community within Portland. So that was kind of a means to an end.”
Today, Kell works as a graphic and color designer at Nike. “I got very lucky to work in the design realm—to survive, so to speak—which has allowed my personal art practice to be what it is,” he said. “It’s incredibly hard to be a surviving studio artist.”
From a fashion collective which fostered a community for local artists, to the bold and colorful murals which adorn our streets, and now a solo exhibition in the heart of downtown—Kell has made a name for himself in the Portland art community.
“This was a big goal for quite a while—a couple years—doing a solo exhibition,” Kell said. “This is a milestone, so I’m trying to figure out what comes next. I’m not all too sure what that is.”
The closing exhibition for Mirrors will be held at One Grand Gallery on Sept. 22 from 6–9 p.m.
