from the dark side of whimsy. kelli cooper | may 7 - 30, 2026
The Imperfecta Gallery is excited to present From the Dark Side of Whimsy, a show featuring New Mexico artist Kelli Cooper.
Presale Catalog here.
On view May 7-30 2026, the show explores the uneasy space where playfulness and discomfort intersect, using painting, sculpture, and illustrated ceramics as interconnected forms of storytelling. As the artist explains: "I'm drawn to imagery that feels familiar at first glance—varied palettes, exaggerated forms, and character-like figures—but slowly reveals something more ambiguous and unsettling."
Across this body of work, Kelli Cooper is interested in how humor and darkness can coexist within a single visual language — there is an ongoing dialogue between innocence and awareness, where whimsy acts as both a disguise and a doorway into more complex emotional terrain. By shifting between two-dimensional and three-dimensional forms, Cooper builds a layered experience that invites viewers to move closer, look longer, and question their initial impressions. Ultimately, these pieces aim to hold space for contradiction—where the playful becomes uneasy, the familiar becomes strange, and beauty emerges through the tension between them.
About Kelli Cooper
Born in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Kelli has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of New Mexico and is currently residing in Albuquerque. Her mixed media artwork has always been process oriented and experimental. Kelli's work typically could be categorized as Figurative Expressionism and has been described as unselfconscious, relatable, and delightfully dark and twisted. Kelli's art has a whimsical style and poignant voice; she brings the viewer in by connecting through relatable characters and shared emotional experience. Kelli has participated in many gallery shows and is a member of the Albuquerque Art Business Association, a member of Ghostwolf Gallery in Albuquerque, and is represented exclusively in Denver by Pop Gallery. She has numerous collectors all over the United States and abroad.
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Press Release here
from the dark side of whimsy. explore the collection