Persimmon, Persimmon

For the month of August, City Gallery is exhibiting Persimmon, Persimmon, the debut show of married couple Elise and Caleb C. Keitt. Their eclectic, mixed-media collaboration features quirky ink and watercolor illustrations and customized sweatshirts inspired by food, history, and community.

The persimmon is a strange fruit. Bright orange with a sweet and tangy taste, American persimmons cannot be found in grocery stores due to their extreme fragility when ripe; getting the fruit from your hand to your mouth intact is an accomplishment. Native Americans enjoyed persimmons, adding them to gruel, cornbread, and pudding. Modern Midwesterners use persimmon pulp in cakes, pies, and cookies.

Elise Keitt first discovered her affection for persimmons while studying abroad in Japan. After moving to Indy in 2020, she was surprised to find a variety of persimmon growing in Indiana and a persimmon festival held every year. To her, persimmons embody an international cultural exchange in food, a tangible example of the power food has in shaping a community. Persimmons feature in nearly all of her artwork, from colorful screen prints of persimmons to layered ink and embroidered persimmons on paper. Her work is full of color, life, and most importantly, her love of food.

*EMO the Ctrlr (Shaggy on the Dream Sweater)*
embroidery on vintage sweater,
Large

Caleb Keitt creates through a different medium: fashion. His artwork features embroidery and embellishments on colorful vintage sweaters, customized t-shirts and sweatshirts, with some of his pieces inspired by his interest in the Black Cowboys. An avid storyteller, Caleb was introduced to the history of the Black Cowboys in Indianapolis by a Greatriach and was immediately inspired to tell the story. Through this show, he also explores and reimages his own Black experience. He is currently writing a book about the Black Cowboys in Indianapolis and hopes viewers will come away curious about them (and his forthcoming book).

Thinking ahead to viewer experience of this show, Elise says, “I hope people think more deeply about looking at the mundane things in life like fruits and vegetables…I want them to appreciate the colors and shapes in each piece, and be reminded to look at and appreciate the details in everyday life.”

Persimmon, Persimmon can be viewed anytime in City Gallery through the month of August during Gallery Hours: Monday – Friday from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. The works can additionally be viewed and purchased on our online gallery.

Sylvia EddyAugust 17, 2024