Kelly Isaak (she/her) is a contemporary figurative artist deeply immersed in the art of drawing. She earned her BFA from Alberta University of the Arts (formerly Alberta College of Art and Design) and a B.Ed from the University of Calgary. Isaak’s work has been exhibited in Canada and in the US. She actively contributes to the Fem Assembly, an intersectional feminist art collective in Calgary, and is a studio member at NVRLND. studios.
Isaak’s current body of work is a collection of emotional, atmospheric drawings that embrace the Female Gaze. Her artistic focus is on exploring representations of women as a female artist. Her drawings skillfully blend finely detailed figures with expressive gestures and subtle shapes, showcasing a refined sensitivity to her chosen materials. The softness of her drawing techniques draws viewers in, as if the subjects themselves are sharing intimate secrets through the whispered marks on the page.
KELLY ISAAK
Education
2008 BEd, University of Calgary
Calgary, Canada
1999 BFA, AuArts (formerly Alberta College of Art and Design), Drawing Major, Calgary, Canada
Solo Exhibitions
2022 – 2025 Alone Together, Travelling exhibit through the Trex
Program and the Alberta Society of Artists
2022 The Impermanence of Memory, The Boutique Gallery
Calgary, AB
2020 Breadmaker Volume 2, The Pioneer
Calgary, AB
2019 Boardroom, A Kyle Marks Project
Calgary, AB
2019 Works on Paper, Galérie La Cité
Edmonton, AB
2019 Monochrome, The Boutique Gallery
Calgary, Canada
Selected Group Exhibitions
2023 When We Circle: A Fem Assembly Show,
Arts Commons, Calgary, Canada
2023 Ghost Stories 3, Ruberto Ostberg Gallery
Calgary, Canada
2023 F is for Fem, The Alberta Hotel
Calgary, Canada
2022 Amuse Bouche, Workshop Studios
Calgary, Canada
2022 Connective Tissues, Colony Studios
Calgary, Canada
2022 Mark, Manifest Gallery
Cincinnati, OH
2021 Soft Opening, Good Neighbour
Calgary, AB
2021 A Symphony of Darkness, The Boutique Gallery
Calgary, AB
2020 Ghost Stories 2, Ruberto Ostberg Gallery
Calgary, AB
2019 Vol. 4, nvrlnd w/Palace of Manufacturers
Kelowna, BC
2019 Ghost Stories, Ruberto Ostberg Gallery
Calgary, AB
2019 A Point on the Horizon, Leighton Centre
Millarville, AB
Selected Professional Service and Awards
2023 – 2024 Part of the RBC Emerging Artist Cohort
2023 Honorable Mention in Drawing, People’s Portrait Prize
Calgary, AB
2008 – Present Calgary Board of Education,
Art Education Specialist
2019 Film Photography Workshop, Part of Ghost Days Project with Terrance Houle.
Banff Center, Canada
2018 Photography Workshop, Medalta
Medicine Hat, AB