“People have this thing about putting the artist on the pedestal. That they’re some kind of divine being: untouched by the world, unsullied by sadness and grief. Or alternatively that they’re some kind of beast: living in a world of pure raw emotion, battling their rage and tortured by mental illness.”

—Kelton Grayson

When you look upon Kelton Grayson sculptures, you can’t help but wonder about the artist’s history, their background. You want to figure them out, to understand them, to see the similarities and perhaps find that alignment in character and values so that when you display each work of art, you feel that it shows the world who you are too. 

And when you look at the work, you don’t try to change it. Because when you accept the art as it is, you then see the beauty of it. It reflects what you want to see in yourself, it might be the strength, grace, fragility or even the non-conformity of the piece that gives you courage to be who you truly are; the connection deepening with every glance. And the artist? You know them by their work, you see the process they used, the decisions they made, the intent behind every piece. Because when you look without judgement the story, your story, the artist’s story, the piece’s story, is there waiting to be told. You only need be present to look through the window this work gifts you to tap into the private thoughts behind the creator, and that’s when you discover: it doesn’t matter who the artist is, all that matters is the connection to this feeling they provoke in you.

For each work holds a presence and expression that feels not of this worldly experience; its depth far beyond the years most people have lived; its existence telling of the past that most are too young to know or have experienced. In a word: mastery. 

You can see the decades of experience as an engineering technician. The discipline, focus, thought processes, precision, preparation and quality are all hallmarks of someone who has spent thousands of hours honing their skills by developing the knowledge and experience to make anything. 

You can see the mental and physical stamina built over a lifetime. The experiences and lessons learnt in industry and through military service, coupled with the speed bumps that hamper life’s progress and mixed in with the big U-turns that call into question everything that was, is, and might be, and challenged to succeed despite. 

You can see what one can do when they let go of all their inhibitions, doubts and fears, and make something now with unwavering self-realisation. For the deep dives, the self-reflection, the work you do on yourself is reflected in what you create. 

And that’s what you see when you look upon Kelton Grayson sculptures: the potential for mastery is in us all. 

The blank canvas that is each person shows the possibility of what we can become if you let go and trust in yourself. What might happen?

Anything? Everything? Something?

For the answer will never be nothing. 

So look long without judgement or fear at the blank canvas each work of art starts at, and then fill in the space with life as you get to know yourself. 

This is the gift Kelton Grayson sculptures offer; as you get to know each piece through its creation and the effect it has on you, it gives you the privilege to experience what we all want for, crave for, try stop time for, just to step into the presence we all seek but can’t seem to find—but in these works we find the space and time to just be, to discover who we truly are and see who we might become.

“With every piece a story is told; my story, your story, everybody’s story. Because art evokes something different in all of us, and its story helps us tell our own. And because its only purpose for existence is to be revered, your every gaze saves the piece from anonymity while recovering parts of your story that might have been lost, forgotten or neglected; so in return, it saves you too. That’s why I’m compelled to make art: to tell a story that helps people connect to who they truly are.” —Kelton Grayson

In other works of art you might see the artist’s mood, their eccentricity, or their polarising message to the world. And this might be why so many artists struggle and don’t realise what their full capabilities and potential is because they are what society has made of them, a passing trend that inhibits their progress. They limit themselves by their own belief system and doubts, not realising there is a process to go through for creation of both self and works. And that process is a strenuous experience, requiring deep reflection, discipline of craft, and a realistic view of the world. But when they move past their limits and see the possibility of what they can create, the artist is born who transcends time and exists outside of the materialistic world, and their work enters a stage of legacy as mastery is captured.

The origin of Kelton Grayson sculptures is no different. Each act of this artist saved the inanimate objects and unwanted things that nobody wanted, overcoming the limitations of wealth by respecting the form, function and history of things as the skill of an engineer adopted the responsibility to restore what was once neglected and the humanity of the artist treated and engaged each piece with the respect we all want to feel. The goal was simple:

“To help each live another life. It’s the endless struggle against universal entropy.” —Kelton Grayson

And so the origin of Kelton Grayson sculptures informed the evolution of self and works, and now every viewer can see that it’s possible to be what we all dream of: the master of our own excellence. 

Continue here to learn about the story of the artworks