Michaela’s Gallery
by Josh Ong
The blue sky drips down, mixing with pastel-colored naked girls in space. Michaela Kershaw is a young artist who is exhibited her art at Vintage Paris tonight. She was raised in the Ozarks. At the age of 12, she started to gain interest in art. In the beginning, she was faced with disproval of her style.
“When I was young I had an art assignment. I brought in a clip of comic book art and my teacher said, ‘That does not count as art.’” This experience gave Michaela passion to show that art should be deeply diverse. Throughout high school, she began to develop her style, wanting to set herself apart from the stereotype of Ozark art culture. “I don’t want to draw pictures of grandma art.” Michaela’s work consists of vibrant pastels with a wide variety of subjects, often focusing on the nude female form. She gains much of her inspiration from the Japanese style of anime.
The muscles come out and the dresses come up. A few of the people Michaela has tattooed were present at the exhibit and showed the work she has created. Michaela has been apprenticing for two years under an experienced tattoo artist, and will soon have her license.
Later in the evening Josh Heston interviewed Michaela on her work.
“Why do you focus on the nude female body?” he asked.
“Because, I was raised in a religious conservative culture that tells you to be modest. The outcome of this was a woman who felt insecure about the natural form.”
Michaela presents her work at a number of comic conventions. This method allows her to exhibit and sell her work outside of the traditional upscale art scene. The people who attend comic conventions tend to fall outside of social norms, which is a perfect setting for niche art.
After Michaela was interviewed we gathered around the fire. A local artist who sat across from me — illuminated by the fire — pulled out a sketchbook and began sketching. Across the way, a blue light flared from behind the fire pit. I turn to see a light saber being swung as though from a Star Wars scene. State of the Ozarks events can be like a chaotic family reunion.
Michaela learned to illustrate through online courses that provided her with a community in which was able to artistically grow and expand. She now has a physical arts community she considers home. State of the Ozarks has become home to many similar artists.
