Alexis McKeown

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Alexis McKeown, featured in AQ Volume VII, is a Canadian photographer specializing in studio work in the areas of still life, figurative study, and portraiture.

Drawing from traditions in classical painting and sculpture, as well as contemporary staged photographic works, Alexis builds compositions in the studio, layering them with depth and symbolism. The study of light, expression, communication, and movement constantly informs her work.

Alexis’s work has begun to find homes in private collections internationally and has gained recognition in her local community. She was selected to be featured in the 2025 Exposure Festival’s Emerging Artist Showcase at Contemporary Calgary and recently held her first solo show in February 2025 at Calgary, Alberta’s CSpace.


Artist’s Statement

I love food, but I don’t think I’m supposed to. This body of work, entitled FIGURING, is a collection of self-portraits and still life photographs that I set out to make as I began figuring out my conflicted relationship with food and eating.

I make all of my work alone in the studio, drawing on my childhood ballet training for the performance art aspects, and on my love of classical and Baroque artwork for the inspiration behind the lighting and composition. The process of building these photographs and using myself in the frame is messy, awkward, sometimes painful, and often hilarious.

My aim is to draw the viewer in with familiar elements of beauty and humour, in order to confront them with the conflict underneath the surface. It’s a conflict many people hold within themselves, and I share this work with hopes of fostering connection and conversation around a topic that’s often kept quiet, despite the incessant inner noise it unleashes.


https://alexismckeownart.myportfolio.com/figuring-collection-2023-24