Cameron Welch (b. 1990; Indianapolis, IN) draws inspiration from across antiquity and contemporary life to explore and develop new mythologies. The artist builds visual narratives with a diverse array of references and symbolism, ranging from the personal-his memories, experiences, and biracial identity-to the collective, mining different cultural and visual traditions from across time. In this way, Welch advances a more contemporary archeology, excavating and reclaiming underrepresented histories in his timeless, monumental compositions.
The artist's multidisciplinary practice has straddled sculpture, collage and textiles, but in early 2017, Welch transitioned to mosaic as his primary medium. As a child, the artist was introduced to mosaic by his grandmother, an experience that has had lasting impact on the way he works the age-old medium to piece together disparate materials and histories. Welch treats mosaic as a physical manifestation of intertextuality, referring to the colliding contexts he unearths in the work as a kind of "infiltration."
While Welch's chosen medium evokes ancient traditions, the affect of his work is decidedly contemporary, with his chaotic, jumbled compositions speaking to the same anxiety felt in the Information Age: an era when unlimited information is available at the tap of a screen. Amidst the pictorial chaos of Welch's mosaics, the figures who emerge range from familiar to foreign, comical to heroic. Frequently depicting himself and figures from his own life, Welch sheds light on unsung histories within the intricate topology of his works.
Cameron Welch's work has been exhibited Gagosian, Beverly Hills, CA; Nino Mier Gallery, Los Angeles; Kavi Gupta Gallery, Chicago, IL; Harper’s Books, East Hampton, NY; Rental Gallery, East Hampton, NY; Jack Hanley Gallery, New York, NY; Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco, CA; Carl Kostyàl Gallery, Malmö, Sweden; and the Kunsthal KAdE, Amersfoort, Netherlands, among others. Welch presented his debut solo exhibition with Yossi Milo, RUINS, in 2022, which received a glowing review by Roberta Smith for The New York Times. Work by Welch is held in the collection of the Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI, and The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO. The artist earned a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, IL; and an MFA from Columbia University, New York, NY. Welch currently lives and works in Brooklyn, NY.