Kasey Child paintings at Clarendon Fine Art

I’m excited to share that a new series of paintings, Ice, Salt and Oysters, is headed to Clarendon Fine Art in London.

The first piece in the series, Ice, Salt and Oysters I, began with scrapping an original concept and completely starting over. Some of my best pieces have come from failed paintings given new life, which adds unexpected undertones and texture and shortens the pipeline for executing new ideas. I don’t recall the original painting anymore, but I remember thinking that the calmness of the shredded ice was something I’m always striving to achieve.

Once I started the series, I immersed myself in everything oyster-related. I reached out to a friend with a former tech startup aimed at pairing oyster farmers with restaurants, peppering him with questions. Then, I dove into oyster documentaries and researched oyster restoration projects, which added even more significance to the pieces as I learned about the oysters’ pivotal roles. Oysters, as keystone species, can filter 50 gallons of water per day, helping maintain the balance of marine ecosystems. But beyond their environmental impact, they also symbolize the social and emotional aspects of dining. I wanted to capture the sounds and vibrations of a busy restaurant, the social elements of dining, and the way oysters often symbolize love—often paired with a date, and the classic question, “Should we get oysters?”

I couldn’t help but think of White Lotus as I worked on this piece, imagining oysters on the table, listening in to the drama unfolding around them. It felt like a perfect fit, and there was a quiet hope in the back of my mind that this work might just end up being featured in Season 4.