Artist kelly fischer may be new to folly beach and the Lowcountry art scene, but she is an established global artist, known for her vibrantly colorful and energetic paintings. Originally born in Nashville, she moved to Memphis, Tennessee, as a child and then relocated to Switzerland 40 years ago, where she has built a reputation over the last 25 years as a semiabstract expressionist painter. During her career, she has split her time between studios in Bern, Switzerland; Memphis, Tennessee; and Weehawken, New Jersey. She recently opened a studio in her new home on Folly Beach.
“I have the beach in front of me and the river behind me, with magnificent trees that lead from the marsh to the river,” Fischer says. She joins a community of writers, musicians, visual artists and performers on the laid-back barrier island, where flip-flops are de rigueur. Fischer anticipates spending a lot of her time in nature, gathering inspiration for her new series, Street Art Folly Beach Marsh.
“I have already painted eight large-format pieces for this new series based on the beauty of Folly’s environment and anticipate producing at least 15 to 20 paintings on this theme,” Fischer says. The art she has painted thus far centers around island life—the beach homes, people and inspiring views, all in her semiabstract expressionist style. Watch for the geometric shapes in her art; circles represent people and squares represent Folly’s homes. “Seventeen years ago, my family and I came to visit Folly and fell in love with the island and its bohemian, easygoing lifestyle,” she says. “When we decided to buy a semipermanent residence in the United States, we chose to come back here.”
Fischer expects the Folly lifestyle will play a large part in the subject matter she paints while here. “It’s so unlike linear Switzerland, where people don’t think outside of the box, and the art is more structured, like the residents,” she explains. “Folly Beach’s light is different; there is a freedom of movement here. I’m always absorbing how people near me live, and it shows up on the canvas.”
While the new series is more about nature, her other eponymous Street Art series, including Street Art Brooklyn, Street Art London and Street Art New York City, deliver the electric lights, buzzing people and energy of urban life. “Each piece of abstract art tries to capture the culture, energy and interactions of the people wherever she goes. Her goal is to make the lines and the colors so cohesive that everyone feels included. It’s about connection. The lines, the circles … everything has to connect with each other,” explains Khawam Gallery, which showcases Fischer’s work.
Fischer is most proud of her Street Art City Life series. “I took all the liberties I ever wanted to take when painting those pieces. I was brave to do what I wanted to do, creating them in an extra-large format. And I sold them all,” she says. She also is proud of a recent Art Miami exhibition, where she worked tirelessly for countless hours to paint 150 small pieces that she put together to make one large-format artwork.
“I exhibit my artwork all over the world,” Fischer continues. “Wherever I go, people tell me my artwork is happy; I suppose it’s the energy in the work that is intense. What is the most rewarding to me is going out of my comfort
zone and having the freedom to paint whatever
I want.”
In her artist statement, Fischer summarizes her work, saying: “I pursue shapes and colors. My semiabstract, expressionist portraits tell a story of whimsical spontaneity. Based on an underpainting, my art begins to emerge as color and texture are added layer by layer. The landscapes pull the viewer into a world of color, light and emotion. My body of work has developed and evolved over time, with much of the outcome being driven by creative impulses.”
In whichever studio Fischer finds herself, her day is the same. “I show up at about 9 am every day to paint, whether I have ideas or not,” she says. “I take about an hour to review the art in progress. I am often working on five or six paintings at once, each of them taking anywhere from a week to months. Sometimes I think a piece is finished but know the next day it’s not. I spend time with all of my pieces, living with them in my home and seeing them at different times of the day in different light to know if they’re finished.”
Fischer’s work can be seen at Khawam Gallery’s New Jersey and New York locations. The gallery specializes in contemporary art, representing artists who demonstrate a commitment to style and a continuity of theme. She will have a solo show there in the fall. She also is represented by VESANIART Gallery in Spain, and she is the cultural liaison for Art4future in Switzerland.
While she spent much of last year traveling to exhibitions across the world, Fischer plans to stick a little closer to home this year and focus on her studio art. “I hope 2025 is about getting to know people in Folly Beach and in the Charleston art scene,” she says. “This area has been welcoming and friendly to me. Since I am new to the area, I plan to reach out to the art world here. Hopefully, they’ll reach back to me.” *
Dana W. Todd is a professional writer specializing in interior design, real estate, luxury homebuilding, landscape design, architecture and fine art.
