Dust Portraits

Dust portraits are, like many of Kelli Yon’s collections, a vividly depicted and distinctly individual portrait of the person they describe. “Dust Portraits are a comment on identity,” Kelli Yon reflects, “dust appears so menial, something to sweep out the door or under the fridge in an effort to keep out of sight, but the dust under their feet says a lot to me about a person. I went to each of my friends' houses and collected a handful of their dust, whether it was dirt mixed with a clump of their dog’s hair, or a bundle of threads in every color of the rainbow.” Her portraits are each unique, named after the individual she collected them from and photographed on a white background amid rubber bands and soil tracked in the door.