Kelly #mixedmonday

Hi I’m Kelly, I’m 25 years old and I live just outside of Bristol, Somerset. I am an artist and designer and I also founded @anew_collective this year. A platform where diversity isn’t an afterthought, but rather the starting point.

How would you describe your ethnicity?

I describe myself as mixed. My ethnicity is a combination of Caribbean (Jamaican), Indian and White British. My maternal Grandparents came to the UK in the 60's from Jamaica. My grandad worked as a welder and my nan worked for Pirelli. My mum is the youngest of their 10 children. My Dad’s father was born in India and came to the UK aged 19 along with his older sister who was a midwife at the time. Both of my parents grew up in the Midlands and raised my younger sister and I in Nottingham.

Has your mixed-ness influenced your career in any way?

My heritage definitely has a big impact on my creative practice in terms of where I look to for inspiration and connection. I see it as a way to connect to my ancestor’s as I haven’t had strong cultural links throughout my life. In 2021 I graduated with an Interior Design degree and have seen the lack of diversity and representation in both the art and design worlds. So this year I set up Anew Collective. I champion creatives from historically marginalised backgrounds and aim to provide a platform for their work to be showcased.

If you could describe your mixed identity in one word, what would it be?

Enriching

What is the best thing about being mixed heritage?

I’m still very early in my journey but I love being able to find connections in different cultures and places. I can’t wait to visit both Jamaica and India in the (hopefully) near future.