BIO:

Kendall Willis (b. 2002, Boston MA) resides in Central Massachusetts. Currently pursuing their Bachelor of Arts in Art Studio with a concentration in Art History at Mount Holyoke College (2025). Their practice developed after taking intensive coursework at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design in the Pre-College program during the summers of 2018 and 2019. Traveling between Western and Eastern Massachusetts, laid the foundation for their artistic vision, fostering a deep appreciation for both traditional and contemporary artistic techniques.

STATEMENT:

They are an experimental visual artist, who inhabits their practice in oil painting and mixed media to navigate the intersections of identity, embodiment, and transformation. Working from personal experiences, studies of mythology and historical references, they reflect a deep interest in symbolism and the ways in which the past informs the present. They explore how the body exists within historical and contemporary timelines, reimagining the traditional portraiture. By using themselves as a subject, they integrate symbolic motifs to challenge established narratives of femininity, queerness, and gaze. Furthering the question on how permanence, tradition, and narratives shape our understanding of self and society.

CV:

b. Boston, MA in 2002 lives in Worcester County, Massachusetts

Education:

2020 – 2025   Mount Holyoke College | South Hadley, MA

                                    B.A in Art Studio, Minor in Art History

                                    May 2025 graduation expectancy

AWARDS & HONORS:

  • “Merrill Prize”, awarded in May 2021. Issued on behalf of the English Department, given to first-year students “for significant process in English.”

  • “Janet Brooks Prize”, awarded recipient in April 2025. Issued on behalf of the Art Studio Department for excellence in painting of graduating class.

 

Fall 2020                     Massachusetts College of Art and Design | Boston, MA

                                    Relevant Course: Portrait Drawing

 

Summer 2019 Massachusetts College of Art and Design | Boston, MA | Pre ⎯ College Summer Studios

                                    Relevant Courses: 2D Fundamentals, 3D Fundamentals, Issues

                                    and Images, Painting from Observation

 

Summer 2018 Massachusetts College of Art and Design | Boston, MA | Pre ⎯ College Summer Studios

                                    Relevant Courses: Painting from Observation, Illustration

 

Group Exhibitions

 

August 2025                “Emerging Artist Showcase” | Barn Door Gallery
| Northampton Center of the Arts | Northampton, MA

 

April 2025                   “Intertwined” | Blanchard Hall | Blanchard Gallery | Mount Holyoke | South Hadley, MA

 

December 2024           “Open Studio Night” | Art Barn | Hampshire College | Amherst, MA


November 2024          “I’m Glad You’re Here [Again] | Blanchard Gallery | Blanchard Hall |

                                    Mount Holyoke College | South Hadley, MA

 

March 2024                 “I’m Glad You’re Here” | Blanchard Gallery | Blanchard Hall |

                                    Mount Holyoke College | South Hadley, MA

 

March 2024                 “200-300 Level Show” | Jannotta Gallery | Hillyer Hall, Brown

                                    Fine Arts Center | Smith College | Northampton, MA

 

 

Publications

 

April 2025                  “Suboart Magazine Nr. 38” Suboart Magazine (Lisbon, Portugal), no. 38