KELU ABSTRACT is an urban artist, photographer and musician, deeply attached to his hometown of Lille, where he was born in 1982 and still lives and works today. Since his beginnings in 2017, when he began to invest public space with acrylic portrait collages, his work has been part of a quest to connect with others. Gradually, he adopted the stencil, which enabled him to work quickly and instinctively in the urban environment.

In 2020, he left his job as a specialized educator but this profession with a deep meaning continues to influence his art. Working with disabled people, he has developed a particular sensitivity to human nuances and the intensity of looks, which has become a central element in his work. Kelu Abstract also works as an assistant alongside the internationally artist Jef Aérosol. A collaboration both technically and artistically formative that helps him perfect his approach to painting and his vision of the art world.

His characters, often androgynous and always in an “in-between”, neither frankly happy nor truly sad, arouse emotions and question without imposing an interpretation. In the studio, he deepens this approach by working on unique supports, such as rusty metal that he oxidizes himself using a secret process, or torn posters salvaged from urban spaces. His photographic practice, exclusively in black and white and through film photography, also nourishes his art. He particularly appreciates the slow, reflective process of analog photography, which contrasts with the urgency of everyday life.

Kelu Abstract favors monochrome in his work, appreciating the simplicity and strength of black and white, just like in photography. However, he also adds a little touch of color, always sparingly, to maintain the balance and intensity of his creations. He sometimes misses being a specialized educator, reason why he enjoys continuing to lead workshops, particularly with people in difficulty to combine his artistic commitment with his sense of sharing. His art, nourished by his humanist commitment and multiple explorations, invites reflection and exchange, while leaving great freedom of interpretation to the viewer.