Kalel R. Cloonan

Kalel Robert Cloonan was born and raised in South Florida with a background in classical music and monochrome photography. Initially entering as a photography major, Kal instead graduated with a B.F.A. in Painting from the Savannah College of Art and Design in 2013. Kal lived and worked in Los Angeles, CA for seven years after graduation, presenting in a myriad of group shows as artist, curator and collaborator in a variety of alternative and established spaces. As a member of the Los Angeles Art Association for three years, Kal showed paintings, video installation and performance at Gallery 825 in West Hollywood, CA. In May 2019, Kal completed his first artist residency at Shoebox Projects in downtown Los Angeles, culminating three weeks of work in the space. Throughout 2020, Kal completed a year long daily project entitled Being Human documenting his daily personal life through painting, writing, drawing and photography as well as participating in Shoebox Projects online Call & Response COVID collaborative art project. After leaving LA amidst the pandemic, Kal found himself back in south Florida where the series “Seventy by Fourty” came to life, consisting of six paintings often referred to as portals or doorways. In December of 2020, Kal met Jodie and joined her in a move back to her home-state of Oklahoma.

While in Oklahoma, Kal was a featured artist at many local events including a colorful booth in the Ponca City Art Festival in both ’21 & ’22. In the fall of 2021, Kal curated, installed and presented a solo show that transformed an empty downtown store into a feast for the eyes with paintings, drawings, remnants from past performances, a mixed media textile installation and a new iteration of the audience interactive performance piece Anonymous Letter to a Stranger. Kal also participated in community art projects across the town from the public art fox sculpture program to teaching classes at The Doodle Academy.

Kal has recently moved life and studio to Colorado with his wife Jodie and dog Luci.