CAROL ADELMAN KENNEDY is a contemporary American artist whose work spans painting, drawing, and printmaking. Known for her sensual and assertive approach to material, Adelman’s creations push traditional forms toward abstraction while exploring themes of constructed identity and the fragmented self. Her work melds observation with imagination, often drawing on the human form as a central focus. By incorporating art historical references and domestic elements, her paintings and prints delve into the layers of identity shaped by internal and external forces.
Born in the Bronx, New York, Adelman pursued her artistic education with a BFA from Carnegie Mellon University and an MFA from the University of Washington. Over the years, she has developed a distinctive visual language that emphasizes the sculptural potential of paint and print. This tactile method is central to her process, turning her canvases into dynamic expressions that balance figuration with abstraction.
Adelman’s work has been exhibited in numerous venues, including Gallery 110, the Bellevue Art Museum, the Meloy Gallery, and the Bowery Gallery in New York City. Her solo exhibitions have featured evocative works such as *House of Mirth* (2024), *Little Women* (2010), and *Promised Land* (2005), each showcasing her evolving exploration of form, memory, and identity. She has also participated in a wide range of group exhibitions, including *Negative Capability* at Gallery 110 (2023) and *Making Our Mark* at the Bellevue Arts Museum (2017), reflecting her ongoing engagement with the broader artistic community.
In addition to her active studio practice, Adelman is a seasoned educator with teaching experience at institutions such as Louisiana State University, Kutztown University, Dickinson College, and the University of Washington. She has also served as a curator and gallery manager, notably at the Kittredge Gallery, University of Puget Sound, further enriching her artistic perspective.
Adelman’s work is informed by her experiences and extensive training, which includes residencies and workshops, such as at the Vermont Studio Center and the Pratt Fine Art Center. She has received multiple grants, including a Creative Project Research & Development Grant from Dickinson College and an Artist Grant from the Vermont Studio Center, which have supported her continuous experimentation with materials and themes.
Today, Adelman maintains an active studio practice in the Seattle area, where she resides with her husband, Malcolm Little Kennedy. Her recent works continue to explore the complexities of personal and collective identity, using painting and printmaking as tools to both question and celebrate the fluid nature of selfhood. Through her work, Adelman remains committed to challenging conventions, creating art that is both deeply personal and universally resonant.
More of Adelman’s work may be appreciated on her website and IG account.
Artist’s Statement
I paint visual experience as an unresolvable negotiation between internal and external worlds in relation to historical conventions of representation. Working as honestly and directly as possible, I paint towards what exists inside the figure – what is seen through the eyes –even what I see with mine.
Pushing my materials vigorously past illusion, I paint to capture the wholeness of my perceptions of light, moisture, sweeping space, unpredictable pleasure, and danger to create a surface that is at once an image and a sculptural relief that embodies the physicality and activity of its construction.
To look at the work is to experience the activity of its making.
Carol Adelman Kennedy
