When Kelly first encountered the impala shoulder mount at 12 Vultures in Minneapolis, an immediate spiritual pull drew her to his quiet essence. His soft yet certain eyes met hers with profound depth, inviting true seeing beyond mere observation, marking him as the second piece in her Shoulder Mount series—a journey both physically demanding and deeply contemplative.
She named him Kele, drawing from Setswana for “to be heard” and Zulu for “grace,” a name that resonated with his wordless storytelling through stillness and form. The renewal process began with reverence: stripping the weathered hide, mending and smoothing the underlying structure to prepare it for beadwork’s transformative glimmer, evoking the restoration of a silenced voice. Vines and floral patterns cascaded down one shoulder, their rhythmic whisper echoing his name, as if carried on a sacred wind.
Placing each bugle bead over twenty hours became a meditative ritual, inspired by Matthew 10: “Even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” Long after losing count, the artist held fast to the prayerful promise in each bead—that patient attention unveils enduring beauty and spiritual worth.