Corbett Kesler
Neo-western beaded sculpture, Colorado
I grew up in Texas, surrounded by the history and stories of the American West, and those stories became part of how I see the world. When I moved to Colorado, I brought them with me and started looking for new ways to tell them. What came out of that is a style I call neo-western: Western subjects, built with modern technique.
Every skull starts in my studio. I mold and cast each form myself, then cover it by hand with anywhere from 18,000 to 300,000 beads. The skull has always stood for life and death, endings and beginnings. Covering it in color turns a symbol of mortality into something about resilience and beauty.
My first museum show was at the Museum of Outdoor Arts in Denver, and the museum acquired Drakon Longhorn for its permanent collection.Museum of Outdoor Arts, Denver, Colorado
About the designs
Every pattern in my work is my own original design. I don't use Native or tribal symbols, sacred imagery, or patterns borrowed from any culture's tradition. My designs come from geometry, color, and the shape of each individual skull, worked out bead by bead.
Beadwork is a medium shared by artists all over the world, and I have deep respect for the traditions that have kept it alive for generations. My goal is to add something new to it, not to imitate anyone else's.
Materials and process
- Form
- Molded and cast in my studio
- Beads
- Glass seed beads, 18,000 to 300,000 per piece
- Setting
- Each bead set by hand in butyl tape
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Shows and recognition
- 2026
- Museum of Outdoor Arts, Denver, CO. Drakon Longhorn acquired for the permanent collection
- 2026
- Kimball Arts Festival, Park City, UT
- 2026
- Fort Worth Arts Festival, Fort Worth, TX
- 2022
- Bead Arts Awards, Honorable Mention, Fury Rose. Read the Interweave feature
For commissions, available work, or questions about a piece, I'd like to hear from you.
Contact me Message on Instagram