At Enter Gallery, we’re proud to present a small selection of limited-edition prints by Kay Le Seelleur Ara – a fiercely original artist whose extraordinary output and sharp humour have recently begun to capture the attention of collectors across the globe.
Kay’s prints – available now at Enter Gallery, offer just a glimpse into her wondrous, and wildly inventive universe. Each piece is rooted in her lived experience, bursting with personality, surreal imagery, and the kind of wit that can only come from a lifetime of keen observation.
Early Life
Born in 1941 in St Albans, UK, Kay Le Seelleur Ara’s artistic story began under unusual circumstances. Her mother had been evacuated from Jersey just before the Nazi invasion, and Kay spent her early childhood in wartime Britain before returning to Jersey in 1945 after liberation. A naturally curious child, Kay was drawn to drawing from the start, and her talent blossomed early.
She studied at Bath Academy of Art from 1958–1962, learning from British art icons such as Howard Hodgkin, Adrian Heath, Henry Cliffe, and Gillian Ayres. After graduating, she moved to London where she taught art while raising her two children – continuing to paint when time and life allowed.
But it wasn’t until much later, after a life-altering fall in 2017 left her unable to walk unaided, that Kay’s creative fire was fully unleashed.
Adversity as Catalyst
The accident that caused Kay’s disability also became the defining turning point in her artistic journey. No longer tethered to the demands of everyday life, Kay turned inward – establishing a daily drawing and painting routine that transformed her home in Trinity, Jersey, into the heart of an astonishingly prolific practice.
From her armchair and modest home studio, Kay now paints and draws every single day – sharing her work across three Instagram accounts (@kay_leseelleur, @kays_telly_doodles and @mrs_magnitude) where her daily uploads have built a global following drawn to her expressive and bitingly funny world.
Her daughter, artist and curator, Rachel Ara describes this newfound creative period as a revelation:
“Kay paints and draws non-stop. Every time I visit, there are more paintings piled up. Sometimes I worry she spends too much time alone, but she’s having a ball posting to Instagram and talking to like-minded people from Australia to Japan.”
A Rich, Surreal World
Kay’s works - whether on paper, board or canvas, are filled with frolicking creatures, defiant women, cheeky cats and absurd scenarios. The figures in her paintings are often nude, unselfconsciously so, lending them a powerful immediacy and expressiveness. Many works are autobiographical, pulling from childhood memories so vivid they feel as though they happened yesterday.
Her sharp observations on the absurdities of life are reflected in her brilliantly irreverent titles such as, “The party was going well until Vicky Pollard arrived on a horse,” and “Elsie’s contractions had started – soon they'd know the identity of the father.”
In the spirit of Frida Kahlo who painted to transcend physical pain, Kay’s work is equally steeped in the power of imagination. Her art becomes a playground where physical limitations dissolve, replaced with humour, colour, and boundless invention.
Curiosity Didn't Kill the Cat
In 2024, Kay held a solo exhibition at CCA Galleries International in Jersey, titled Curiosity Didn't Kill the Cat.
Spanning all three floors of the gallery, the show was the culmination of a single year’s work – an astonishing testament to her creative drive. The exhibition was a huge success, with numerous original pieces acquired by collectors.
The show cemented Kay’s status as a serious and sought-after artist, with a growing audience captivated by her unique voice.
Mrs Magnitude
Enter Gallery recently visited Kay at home in Jersey, where we were blown away by the sheer volume of her work. Every surface, wall, drawer, and chest is filled with paintings, drawings, and fantastical characters rendered with playful abandon.
Among the gems of her extensive portfolio are three limited-edition prints, published by CCA Galleries. Each print is an invitation into Kay’s mischievous world:
Poor Frida - a striking homage to Frida Kahlo, capturing the emotional intensity of a life devoted to art, where painting becomes both escape and expression.
This silkscreen print from a limited edition of 75 is printed on Somerset White Velvet paper and comes hand-signed and numbered by the artist - Shop Now
You Promised No Dog! – a quietly powerful line drawing of a nude woman and a black cat, locked in a moment of unspoken dialogue.
This is a lithograph print from a limited edition of 75. Each piece is printed on Somerset White Velvet paper and comes hand-signed and numbered by the artist. Shop Now
'Whip-Crack-Away' – a madcap moment of wild energy that invites you to laugh out loud.
This silkscreen print from a limited edition of 75 is printed on Somerset White Velvet paper and comes hand-signed and numbered by the artist. Shop Now
Art in the Everyday
Kay’s daily drawing practice is posted online under accounts like @mrs_magnitude, where anthropomorphic cats mirror the drama of human life. It’s a diaristic record of her imagination, and a reminder that creativity doesn’t fade with age or adversity – in fact, it can flourish.
Her daughter put it best when she shared a line Kay had written in one of her sketchbooks, “You have no need to travel anywhere – journey within yourself.” – Rumi
Discover Kay’s Work
Kay Le Seelleur Ara’s prints are now available at Enter Gallery. With their bold originality, cheeky humour and imaginative force, these works are the perfect entry point into the universe of one of the most exciting outsider artists working today.
Her story is a reminder that it’s never too late to find your voice – and when you do, the world is ready to listen.
