about

Chanelle Kalfas is a New York based painter whose work is informed by her cross-cultural upbringing, elusive search for joy, and ever-evolving sense of self.

Chanelle’s pieces center subjects who at peace, fully self-possessed and open to being seen in their totality, despite an onslaught of external projections.  As a first-generation Ghanaian-American, she is attracted to the idea of de-centering whiteness in her work, without entirely disregarding its effect on how we see ourselves as we move through the world. Her paintings are a means to explore the lived experiences and interior lives of those existing at the intersection of different identities. 

Her practice is a means of rejecting singular categorization, with the depth and variance of each individual’s skin reflecting the richness and multitudes that lie within.

Currently a brand marketer at The New York Times, Chanelle lives in Harlem, New York City (and sometimes Connecticut) with her husband and young son.

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