This fall, five steel-and-weaving sculptures hang in the Kittredge Art Gallery, part of a summer research project that represents an artistic shift for their creator.
Roy Kersten-Hellikson ’27 has spent the summer welding, polishing, and weaving as part of a research project focused on developing his artistry. The result is a series of five steel frames, ranging from two to five feet tall, with basket weaving stretched between them. They mirror each other in size and hang horizontally in a line, allowing visitors to walk between them.
“They all kind of go in a line and then you will be able to move between them,” Kersten-Hellikson said.
This project represents a deliberate shift away from his typical artistic approach.
“I usually make things that are really big and kind of dense and stuff,” he said. “So I wanted to challenge myself to make something dainty.”
That word — dainty — is not one most people would use to describe art made from welded steel. But for Kersten-Hellikson, the summer project now on display represents more than just a new aesthetic. It reflects a broader philosophy: that art should be welcoming, conversational, and accessible to everyone.
“His summer research work combines many of the new concepts and materials he has engaged with in his studio work in the last year,” Rebecca Padilla, assistant professor of art, said. “He has synthesized his work in a manner that reflects his thoughtfulness and care for creating.”
His artwork is on display at Kittredge Art Gallery and is set up to allow visitors to immerse themselves in the pieces. He has also worked on the lighting to cast shadows for further depth.
While the studio art major started work on the project in May, it was a recent trip to Spain that proved pivotal in helping him finalize the look. He spent part of his summer in Spain, visiting Madrid, Valladolid, and Bilbao as part of the Offield Endowment Travel Fellowship. The fellowship offers stipends to students for a trip to an international destination to experience visual art. While there, he visited the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía in Madrid. He found himself drawn to the museum's contemporary abstract collection, which he says offered a refreshing sense of simplicity.
“There were a lot of cool sculptures in there that they weren’t trying to portray anything in particular,” Kersten-Hellikson said. “It was just more like some abstract sculpture. Something cool to look at.”
This philosophy echoes his upbringing in the Bay Area. Growing up in Oakland’s Fruitvale neighborhood, Kersten-Hellikson was surrounded by vibrant, community-based murals.
“In Oakland, we got just a lot of color everywhere,” he said. “There’ll be all types of imagery on walls and buildings. That type of stuff gets me really stoked, especially when it’s community-based art.”
That appreciation for art that belongs to everyone is what he's trying to capture in his own work — but achieving that accessibility requires a different kind of discipline.
The weaving process is painstaking. Kersten-Hellikson works in segments, starting one section and moving to another as pieces dry.
“The weaving took a while, and I’d been working in segments,” he said. “I just kind of do a section, and then I’ll start working on another section.”
The metalwork, too, reflects a new commitment to craftsmanship. He has polished the steel to a shine — something he typically doesn’t do — and is deliberate about even the rust that forms on the surface.
“I spent so much time sanding it down and then as a little bit of rust got on it, I just let that be. And I let it show up everywhere because I want it to be intentional,” he said.
Kersten-Hellikson credits his art professors, including Padilla, with helping him refine his vision.
“She helped me keep it simple,” he said. “She pointed out how I always say, ‘and then, and then, and then,’ when I’m explaining my project. So I decided to just focus on something simple.”
“It has been so exciting to see how Roy's work has developed and deepened in the last year,” Padilla said. “He is committed to learning and incorporating new ideas and techniques in his work, and he is open to being challenged. Roy has a real love and energy for making art that is contagious in the studio, and he is one of the most dedicated students I have the privilege of working with.”
At its core, Kersten-Hellikson’s work is about inclusivity. He recalls feeling uncomfortable in art spaces as a kid — spaces that he says felt pretentious or unwelcoming.
“Pieces feel very valuable, so you don’t want to touch or break those,” he said. “But my art, that I’ve made in the past before summer research, has kind of been fun, playful artwork that tries to interact with the viewer.”
His goal now is to simply create work that invites conversation rather than intimidation.
“I don’t need everybody to love it,” Kersten-Hellikson said. “But honestly, just having that conversation of ‘Why’d you do this? This is interesting. I wouldn’t think of that. Or maybe I would think of it. I really relate to this.’ Whatever the audience has to say, I'd be open to that conversation.”
His art is currently on display through September in Kittredge Art Gallery.
“Come take a look,” he said. “The whole point is for it to be open to everybody.”
