Kyle Selley

Kyle Selley (b. 1992) is a Kansas City-based artist best known for his Firework Residue Paintings which explore ideas surrounding nostalgia, spirituality, and the sublime. KC Studio Magazine has referred to his flatwork as “naturally celestial” and “suggestive of infinite space.” Selley builds composition playfully and intuitively, reminiscent of abstract expressionism and artists such as Jackson Pollock and Wassily Kandinsky. He references artist Cai Guo-Qiang, but his materials and processes are entirely different.

Selley’s Firework Art utilizes mediums such as videography, digital imagery, performance, ceramics, works on paper, works on canvas, and works on glass/plexiglass. His work set a new precedent in artistic techniques incorporating firework residue. Selley has been nourishing a relationship with fireworks since early childhood. He was using them in creative and experimentative ways long before he felt compelled to create traditional artwork.

Selley is currently represented by SNW Gallery and Leawood Fine Art Gallery. He is sponsored by Dominator Fireworks in Beijing, China. He graduated from Johnson County Community College with an Associate of Arts degree, studied sculpture and ceramics at the University of Tasmania, and graduated from the Kansas City Art Institute with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.