Themes which Kelsey O’Brien explores in her art work are tough: domestic violence, harassment, death. Prior to our meeting I anticipated a serious, austere person and it was surprising to find a cheerful and self-confident woman. "There has always been a part of me that needs to validate the real experience of being human, which is painful. Pain is a universal human experience. Everyone can relate,”- says Kelsey O’Brien. Her work is autobiographical, but when I look at Kelse

I don’t know about the rest of America, but New York is one of the most friendly cities in the world. In the sense that you can be different and still feel comfortable among others. I think that artists among those who have done a lot for this. Raising questions of identity again and again, artists push the boundaries of social norms. What does it mean to be black? What does it mean to be transgender? Ultimately, these questions boil down to one: what does it mean to be your