Studio

  Although expressing ideas through painting at the moment this practice comes from a place firmly rooted in materials and three dimensional thinking. Interested to portray the body as a porous and fragile space, iconography and early renaissance painting influences. The post human experience, communicating within a digital world - truth and false narratives - the accent of AI - how expressive forms can be generators and transformers of social power. Drawing is still important and the line is present in all the painting.  Statement: 2025. Since the dawn of the internet the accessibility of information has accelerated to the point of overwhelming visual melt down. The constant stream of information and images feed into the voracious techno-documentation of the self. The question is where the truth of what we see really lies? This practice is interested in theories such as ‘simulation’ and ‘hyperreality’ these offer a conflicting dynamic between notions of artificial and the rea...

Solo Show - Curated by Richard Hylton read his review here:

  Glass Meet The Future Film Screening 2023 Above is the link to the programme details 

 Excited to have my short film 'Glass Kawaii!' selected for the Glass Meet the Future programme. https://northlandscreative.co.uk/gmtf-2023-homepage/ Thanks to North Lands Creative partnered with The Shanghai Museum of Glass. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8e3NfKJzNQ&t=35s 'Full Immersion' 2022 the short site specific film was created as a response to the historically important setting of Jane Austen's house in Hampshire England. The work was shown in 2022 sited within a small recess cupboard in Jane Austen's bedroom. The artists involved all part of the MA Fine Art cohort University for the Creative Arts Surrey U.K. 2022. The spoken word work in the format of a 'love letter' to Jane can be read or heard below. https://janeaustens.house/subtext-jane-austens-bedroom/ ALTEXT: the image shows a narrow cupboard, the door is ajar. Inside there is a monitor screen, the image on that screen depicts the interior of a four poster bed [looking up] with cream fabric draped around the wooden posters. The fabric is attached at the top with small bows, from each bow miniature fig and apple trees are hanging upside down.  The trees gently rotate accompanied by the sound of a breeze or warm wi...

  https://juliakeenan5.wixsite.com/website Here is a link to more recent thoughts and some images of current paintings in progress, my artist statement has shifted too.

 Painting on show within the 'Mother Tongue' exhibition of works by current students at my Institution - the context of the show was to offer an opportunity to show works engaging and celebrating the diversity of the student body. This work is developing ideas of communication and human interaction; the photographic elements are studio portraits of small sculptures created in the studio.  These forms have been collaged into the picture plane of the composition in such a way to suggest a relationship. Although they find themselves in a strange and sometimes confusing landscape there is a shared understanding between them.   Alone the works are poised and self-sufficient yet when together they seem engaged in private conversations and shared understandings. My own personal experience being born in Fiji and spending my formative years in multiple different cultures informs my practice through the embodied experience of understanding difference.   

  Recent Paintings -    appologies the current painting link is unavailable, to see studio progress of my painting practice follow along @  https://www.instagram.com/insta_steals_your_soul/

'Full Immersion' Short film   created as a direct response to the site of the house.  The film is situated within a cupboard recess in Jane Austen's bedroom. Installation views. SUBTEXT is a contemporary art show by the MA Fine art artists from UCA Farnham responding to Jane Austen's writings, life and socio-political histories to present day. Among the collection of fascinating artefacts belonging to Jane Austen and her family, thirteen artworks are sited throughout the hose, in the dining room, bedroom, legacy room, family room, bakehouse, drawing room, kitchen and stairwell. Within this intimate space will be found drawing, painting sculpture, print, installation and film exploring personal fictions, female sexuality and desire, the museum collection and house, materiality and representations of nature. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jane Austen’s House Proposal – Julia Keena...

  13/02/22 Enjoying the access to spaces within the University to test out works at scale. Going to come back to this and expand on thoughts around the concept - interesting how repetition of existing works can create new ways of thinking - or new meaning, nothing is fixed.  Music track - 'Digital Horizon' [open source]