Meet Emerging Artist Elijah Ace Kauffman - Inside Art with Michael Rose

Meet Emerging Artist Elijah Ace Kauffman - Inside Art with Michael Rose

 

In painter Elijah Ace Kauffman’s studio on the West Side of Providence, the color blue is a running theme. Cool tones repeatedly show up in the artist’s paintings, which are vibrant explorations of figurative subjects and narrative themes. Originally from Salt Lake City, Utah, Kauffman is now based in Rhode Island and is hard at work in their adopted home. An artist on the rise who is busily crafting ambitious artworks, Kauffman is at the start of a thrilling career.

GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST

 

Possessing a singular sense for color is just one of the skills that sets Kauffman apart as an artist. Even with minimal artificial lighting, their paintings seem to glow. A favorite technique for this artist is the use of monochromatic palettes to create wonderfully unified images that are inventive and unexpected. Asked about their use of color, Kauffman replies, “Monochrome to me is a way to reflect how the figures in the work are feeling. Choosing a limited color palette reveals to the audience the mood of a scene instead of focusing on surface-level details. Even when I do incorporate local color and earth tones, I do still choose usually a green, blue, or magenta to cast a filter over everything.”

 

 

Kauffman is one of Rhode Island’s most promising young artists. A 2022 RISD graduate who studied painting and received the Maharam Fellowship, Kauffman has already exhibited their work internationally in St. Tropez. They were also the subject of a 2023 solo exhibition at Artistellar Gallery in London and the recipient of a Make Art Grant from the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, which is a big achievement for any maker.

 

Action is a frequent crux for Kauffman’s art. Characters move and sway, they engage with one another. In a stunning large-scale oil painting, one figure bends over a leaking sink, while another crawls underneath a cabinet to find the trouble. Considering what they hope viewers see in their work, Kauffman says, “I often hope that viewers will see these moments from daily life as reflecting some of their own experiences, but there is no such thing as a universal painting, so I know that won't ring true for everyone who sees my paintings. It is my goal, though, that through the life-sized scale, the viewer feels transported.”

 

 

Kauffman’s works do transport those who engage with them. They invite onlookers into environments and storylines that are familiar. In one painting, a prone sitter gets a new tattoo, in another a dog wrestles with a toy. They are scenes from everyday life that show off the artist’s voice.

 

In addition to their art practice, Kauffman is one of the worker-owners of Small Format, a cafe and art space at 336 Wickenden Street. At Small Format, Kauffman has assembled the space’s current exhibition, Submerged, which brings together works by a variety of emerging artists all focused on the color blue. The show at Small Format will be up through October and shows off the curatorial acumen of a gifted maker.

 

 

Kauffman is also an enthusiastic cyclist and has recently brought bicycles into their work. The resulting images show off the keen eye of a painter who cares about every mark. Expertly rendered, these complicated subjects accompany figures who activate and engage with them. Explaining the place of bicycles in their work, the artist says, “I am a member of Providence Bicycle Collective, and in the past year or so have been building my bike repair skills at the shop. Biking has always been a big part of my daily lived experience, but learning to work on them has given me more of an anatomical understanding of how to draw and paint them. It makes it feel less intimidating to depict them.”

 

 

In addition to paintings, Kauffman has explored other media and is also a prolific sketchbook maker. In their studio, bespoke books created from hand-made and recycled materials are filled with expressive drawings rendered using materials like acrylic, watercolor, markers, and ballpoint pens. There are studies for paintings, ideas, and notes. The artist’s process is on display in these books.

 

Coming up on September 23, Kauffman will open a special show titled Wheel of Fortune at the Providence Public Library. This solo feature will activate multiple spaces in the building. With paintings on view in the Ground Floor Lobby as well as the historic Updike Room, an exciting selection of Kauffman’s recent works will be on view for Rhode Islanders to see.

 

 

A talented artist and engaged community member, Elijah Ace Kauffman is an artist to watch in the community. They are making work that centers on figures, stories, and experiences in ways that are personal and poignant.

 

Learn more about Elijah Ace Kauffman at their website www.elikauffman.net.