Ping Kelly. Image: Bradford ‘Telegraph & Argus’
Bradford artist, Ping Kelly, applies the ancient art of Chinese brush painting in oils, water-colour and acrylics to a range of subjects: portraits, abstracts, banners, landscapes, architecture, and symbolist work.
‘Red Lantern’. Image: see artist’s website, below.
Ping was born and grew up in Kumming, Yunnan province, China. From the age of seven, until she was sixteen, Ping trained and performed at national level as a professional gymnast and was part of the Yunnan gymnastics team.
At sixteen, however, her short-lived life of a professional athlete was over and, under a scheme that guaranteed work to retiring professional athletes, Ping was placed by the Chinese authorities as an operative in a textile factory. However, this was not how she wanted to spend her life. In 2010, she told a local ‘Telegraph & Argus’ (T&A) journalist:
I wasn’t suited to it at all and really wanted to paint. I told my dad that I wanted to go to university and study art, and he agreed that I should apply.
In 1985 Ping applied and, in the face of strong competition, was accepted to study fine art at the College of Art in Kunming. Included in her studies was Chinese brush painting, where each rapid brush stroke is carefully considered in advance, producing work that is not subsequently changed. The artist does not prepare a preparatory sketch, but depicts a remembered, symbolic or imagined image, representative of the subject.
‘Spring’. Image: see artist’s website, below.
Ping graduated in 1989 from the art college with an art degree and as a qualified teacher. After marrying an English teacher, Ping came to Bradford, where she has now lived for over 20 years. She described her work to the T&A as ‘very oriental’. She said: “I like bright, loud colours. I particularly like working in blacks, reds, yellows and oranges.”
From the artists’ Broadway’ series of paintings depicting the stages of construction of the Bradford Broadway shopping centre.
Ping has taught art locally, including in community education, and at the Leeds Chinese Community Mandarin School. She also worked with other local artists to create a banner depicting St Winefride, now displayed at Winefride’s Catholic Primary School in Wibsey (see below).
Ping, shown second from right, with the St Winefride’s School banner. Image: artist’s website, see below.
Ping’s art work has been publicly exhibited at the ‘Art In The Garden’ exhibition, Sheffield; St James’ Hospital, Leeds; the Artists’ Open Show at Leeds City Gallery, and Bloomsbury Festival. In Bradford the artist’s work has been shown at the Delius Arts Centre, at the Fabric Gallery, the Bradford Open at Cartwright Hall, and the Digital Exchange. She also paints to commission; see the artist’s website below.
Artist’s website: http://www.pingkelly.co.uk/index.htm