Bio
Keely Hopkins is a settler artist based in Kjipuktuk (Halifax). Born in Sik-Ooh-Kotoki (Lethbridge), Alberta on Treaty 7 Territory, Hopkins completed a Bachelor of Science in Biology in 2019 at the University of Lethbridge before pursuing visual art at NSCAD University. They graduated with a BFA in Photography and a minor in Art History in 2023.Hopkins’ practice is built on a photographic foundation that incorporates sculpture and video. Highly experimental, they focus on material and a process-based approach to make work. Hopkins is interested in speaking directly to the historical link between science and photography to explore objectivity, interconnectivity, time, and awe.
Hopkins has exhibited across Canada and was a recipient of the 2024 Struts Gallery Media Arts Production fund. They have additionally received a Create grant from Arts Nova Scotia to complete a current series of work.
Artist Statement
My work uses photography and sculpture to explore objectivity, time, and awe. Experimentation, materials, and research are key components of my practice. I make work using photographic approaches including; cyanotype, darkroom photography, video, and inkjet printing. My work is focused on expanded photography that adresses the photographic surface as a three-dimensional material. I am drawn to natural forms, scale, and time-based work. Artists Marlene Creates, Sarah Fuller, and Ella Morton have inspired my continued practice of experimentation and interest in geography. Annie Dillard and Don McKay’s writing that connects landscape, science, and spirituality has deeply influenced my explorations of awe and the sublime.
Part of my recent body of work, Artist’s Shroud (2023) is a life size print of my supine body captured with photogrammetry, and printed on Belgian Linen. The process of photogrammetry produced a point cloud that lacked boundaries between my body and my environment - the result is an image made up of small grayscale circles against a black background. Artist’s Shroud was shortlisted for the NSCAD Student Art Award in 2023.