Introducing New Artist Chatham Kemp
We are honored to welcome Chatham Kemp to our gallery’s roster of artists. A dedicated abstract painter based in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Chatham has spent more than two decades developing a powerful visual language rooted in the landscapes and sensory experiences of South Mississippi.
Throughout her career, Kemp has participated in more than 100 exhibitions and earned significant recognition for her work. Her paintings have received numerous honors, including two Mississippi Arts Commission Artist Fellowship Grants and the Best in Abstract Painting award at the Fall 2025 Mississippi Art Colony. Her work has also been featured in prestigious exhibitions such as the Mississippi Museum of Art’s Mississippi Invitational and the 2025 USM National Juried Art Exhibition.
Chatham's artistic journey is grounded in both rigorous training and a deep commitment to her community. She earned her Master of Fine Arts in painting from Indiana University in Bloomington in 2007, where she attended on a full graduate fellowship, after completing her Bachelor of Arts at the University of Southern Mississippi in 2004. In addition to maintaining an active studio practice, Chatham has taught painting and drawing at William Carey University for nearly two decades, helping launch the art program on the Hattiesburg campus in 2011.
Chatham's paintings exist in the vibrant space between representation and abstraction. Using expressive color and layered surfaces, her work suggests elements of the natural world—plants, trees, flowers, and weather patterns—while also emphasizing the physical and emotional energy of paint itself.
Deeply inspired by the South Mississippi landscape, Chatham captures an environment where nature is not distant but immediate and immersive. The bright sun, saturated greens, dense foliage, and humidity-infused air all inform the dynamic palette and rhythms found in her compositions. Her paintings evoke the experience of walking through this landscape—moments of light, fragments of color, and fleeting impressions that combine to form a powerful sensory memory.
Rather than depicting a literal scene, Chatham builds entire worlds from fragments: a patch of color, a shifting form, or a flicker of light that emerges from layered paint. The resulting works reflect both the beauty and instability of the natural world, suggesting resilience even amid uncertainty.
We are thrilled to share Chatham Kemp’s work with our collectors and community. Her paintings invite viewers to slow down, immerse themselves in color and texture, and rediscover the wonder of the landscapes that shape our experiences.
Please join us in welcoming Chatham to the gallery as we debut her new collection on March 24. We will celebrate the opening with a reception on March 26 from 5–7 PM at the Laurel Gallery, where guests will have the opportunity to view the work in person and meet the artist.
We look forward to celebrating this exciting new chapter with Chatham and sharing her remarkable work with our community.