From the Dark Side of Whimsy | Artshow featuring New Mexico artist Kelli Cooper
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Exploring the uneasy space where playfulness and discomfort intersect, using painting, sculpture, and illustrated ceramics as interconnected forms of storytelling.

PORTLAND, Ore. - eMusicWire -- The Imperfecta Gallery is excited to present From the Dark Side of Whimsy, a show featuring New Mexico artist Kelli Cooper.

On view May 7-30 2026, the show explores the uneasy space where playfulness and discomfort intersect, using painting, sculpture, and illustrated ceramics as interconnected forms of storytelling. As the artist explains: "I'm drawn to imagery that feels familiar at first glance—varied palettes, exaggerated forms, and character-like figures—but slowly reveals something more ambiguous and unsettling."

Across this body of work, Kelli Cooper is interested in how humor and darkness can coexist within a single visual language — there is an ongoing dialogue between innocence and awareness, where whimsy acts as both a disguise and a doorway into more complex emotional terrain. By shifting between two-dimensional and three-dimensional forms, Cooper builds a layered experience that invites viewers to move closer, look longer, and question their initial impressions. Ultimately, these pieces aim to hold space for contradiction—where the playful becomes uneasy, the familiar becomes strange, and beauty emerges through the tension between them.

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The show debuts on May 7, with an Opening Reception from 5 to 8pm.

Gallery Opening Hours: Wednesday to Saturday, 11am to 5pm – EXCEPT first Wednesdays (closed) and first Thursdays (open 5-8pm only).

The gallery is located at 809 NW Flanders st, Portland OR.

About Kelli Cooper

Born in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Kelli has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of New Mexico and is currently residing in Albuquerque. Her mixed media artwork has always been process oriented and experimental. Kelli's work typically could be categorized as Figurative Expressionism and has been described as unselfconscious, relatable, and delightfully dark and twisted. Kelli's art has a whimsical style and poignant voice; she brings the viewer in by connecting through relatable characters and shared emotional experience. Kelli has participated in many gallery shows and  is a member of the Albuquerque Art Business Association, a member of Ghostwolf Gallery in Albuquerque, and is represented exclusively in Denver by Pop Gallery. She has numerous collectors all over the United States and abroad.

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About Imperfecta Art & Design Gallery

imperfecta is an art & design gallery focused on elevating the work and voices of women artists and minority creatives. http://www.imperfecta.xyz

For press inquiries and images, please contact:
Daria Loi, Founder & Director - imperfecta@studioloi.xyz  |  IG/FB: @imperfecta.xyz

Source: Imperfecta Gallery
Filed Under: Arts
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