Austin native Kelly Framel returned to her hometown during the pandemic, following long stints in New York City and Oaxaca, Mexico. Her kaleidoscopic new studio sizzles with life, embodying playful curiosity, an awe-filled appreciation for ancient wisdom, and a joyful veneration of the divine feminine.Often working under the nom de plume Ma Keli, Framel permissions us to play, to believe in wild dreams — to return to the freedom, naivety, and swirling whimsy of a childlike mind. Encompassing painting, sculpture, photography, film, poetry and textiles, her singularly primal style of channeled expression references alchemy, arcane theory, sexuality and primitive ritual, evoking the ideals of a reanimated world rich with magic and metaphor. It is a celebration of pure creative consciousness and a conversation about syncretism — an attempt to connect where we might otherwise collide. Hers is a world in which all things are imbued with great depths of wisdom, lit by the clear spark of innocence.

Burn It Down