Lesley Kehoe Galleries sells art, but what we are really about is engagement with fantasy and romance. Our guiding philosophy is to create an environment of beauty, one that indulges the senses, provokes the intellect, and stirs the heart. We see art as universal and beauty as its most essential component. Our commitment is to art as an intimate partner in our everyday lives. We work to overcome inbuilt prejudices of what art is and who may access it, and which culture monopolizes it.
We are dedicated to the Japanese aesthetic, one that sits close to the soul of man and embodies the Universal, transcending both form and material. Our collection expresses the infinite scope of beauty and does not acknowledge externally imposed boundaries of culture, period, medium, or academic definitions. When we speak of the Japanese aesthetic, we do not restrict ourselves culturally or geographically. We address universal principles that are best expressed by Japanese culture.
In the art and artists we represent, we seek mastery of material and technique, originality and an articulated artistic identity and concept. We look for works that evoke passion and awe, that contribute something beyond the everyday. We admire both a growth from and reinterpretation of tradition, and the revolutionary spirit that seeks to create anew.
Established in 1983, Lesley Kehoe Galleries quickly built an excellent reputation for high quality artworks and consummate client service. The initial focus on historical works of art is a continuing area of strength, with world standard museum quality works in our portfolio. Contemporary works have been added to our range and is an expanding area of the business. Lesley Kehoe Galleries has an international reputation for the best in Japanese art, participating in specialist art events in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Paris, London and Dubai. Long-standing personal relationships in Japan are the key to the quality of works we are able to exhibit.
Close to 30 years experience has culminated in a newly opened architect-designed gallery space in one of Melbourne’s most prestigious locations in the CBD. Our brief was to create a space of beauty which encapsulated the best of Japanese design reinterpreted to co-exist with a contemporary Western environment. The entrance corridor is symbolic of a physical and spiritual journey across a boundary; from the everyday ‘noise’ of the corporate city to the meditative dimensions of interaction with art. The interior of the gallery is partially obscured by a dusky tint on the automatic door to reinforce the separation of the mundane and the extra-ordinary.
In the future the gallery will begin to incorporate works by international and Australian artists who show an appreciation of, and who are influenced by, the Japanese aesthetic, again in its broadest interpretation. This will include new media such as photography, video art, paintings, illustrations, calligraphy and textile art. The company will look to pop-art, anime, street art and young artists who are pushing boundaries and experimenting with new techniques and media.
“When you get to the top of the mountain keep climbing”
Zen saying