About Kelly
Bio
Kelly Walker is a ceramic artist and community organizer based in Norfolk, Virginia. While she makes and sells pottery from her home studio, she is also co-founding an arts initiative called Rebel Arts Creative Community. Rebel Arts partners with ethically established businesses and entrepreneurs in the area to offer classes, workshops, and free open-studio style pop-ups.
Kelly’s personal art practice is largely centered around oversized wheel thrown ceramic vessels. With these, she explores concepts around queer life, mental health, and interpersonal connections. These large vessels are visual representations as well as containers for these nuanced and cumbersome concepts. These pieces are often adorned with graphic surface design and eye-catching colors. Inspiration for this style is from Kieth Haring’s high-contrast, graffiti drawings and his simplistic way of expressing complex social justice issues.
Her pieces have shown in multiple exhibitions at the Virginia Arts and Design Center of Tidewater Community College. Her oversized pouring vessel with multiple spouts reading “Queer Rage, Queer Joy”, titled ‘Fill Your Cup’, won the 2025 spring student exhibition for its technical skill and design.
