Today we’d like to introduce you to Keadra Jeter
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I do want to start of saying that I am blessed to be where I am in my art career. I never thought that drawing on the walls of my mom’s house at 6 years old would take me to showing art in other countries as an adult. Speaking of my mom, she was my biggest inspiration. I started as a kid, sitting around watching my brothers draw cars in their school notebooks & saw my mom draw different animals while on the phone with her friends. I didn’t think I would get the artistic gene like everyone else in my family until I began drawing on walls in my mom’s house. I don’t know how many times I got in trouble for it but after a while, my mom just stopped, lol. That was the moment I knew I had some kind of artistic talent. My first major piece was a drawing of my brother who passed away in 2003 & I gave it to my mom as a mother’s day gift in 2007 (which I currently have in my possession). In January 2017, I began showcasing my work at different shows all over Dallas. Most people say that I have the 90s/urban style of art and it is very unique. From then on, I continued to showcase my art & was able to have my first solo show in February 2018. As of today, I am still improving my skill while also preparing to show my art in Tokyo, Japan & Seoul, South Korea in 2025.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely has not been a smooth road. I took a mental hiatus at one point because of the passing of my mother. She was my biggest part of my art career. The hiatus helped me go back to the basics on my skills as artist. I also had some negative people in my life that I thought were my friends that told me that I wasn’t good enough for the places artistically I wanted to be in (Art Basel, NYAW, etc.). It really affected me overall in showing my work, but I continued to push through. There were also times where I was turned away from some opportunities that I really wanted to be a part of. Overall, these challenges did not deter me away from my dream of an artist & I continued to push forward.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a visual artist, I paint to be exact. I mainly work with acrylic paint because of its versatility. I also do custom jeans for customers as well. I am most known for my paintings over all other artistic avenues. I am most proud of my ability to bring a level of happiness to people with my art. I think the fact that I enjoy art over all else sets me apart because to me, it’s not about the money & notoriety – it’s about the art itself! I also enjoy how I have been inspiring my middle school students to be more involved with their art and become more comfortable with showing their art to others.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
One thing as a creative that I have learned is to take a risk & bet on yourself. A dream of mine for years was to showcase my art at Art Basel in Miami. It is like Coachella for artists, in my opinion. I knew I wanted to be an artist my whole life & in 2014 was my first introduction to what Art Basel was. From that moment on, my goal was to apply each year, no matter what. I was told so many times to give up, told that my art wasn’t good enough to enter, to focus on something real because being an artist isn’t a career. At one point, I believed these things and began to decrease the amount of art that I would create. As my close friends know, my mom was and still is my inspiration. I had an honest talk with her before her passing about what I want to do with my art career and all the things that people have told me. She asked me if I was sure that I want to build a career as an artist. Of course, I want a career as an artist! She then said one thing to me after I responded yes to her: “do what makes you happy. No one else’s opinion matters but yours.” From that day on, I took all the risks I could possibly take as an artist, along with consistently applying to be an artist in Art Basel. I was finally accepted into Art Basel in 2022 after 8 years of receiving rejection emails. I wasn’t able to attend due to some issues with the venue but in 2023, I definitely was there & it felt so surreal. I didn’t know how much I felt at home there and the overall feeling of my risks and hard work paying off. Because of this moment, more doors have opened to me as an artist, such as being selected to showcase my work in Barcelona, Spain and working on a solo exhibition in New York City in August 2025. Some days, I sit and think “where would my art career be if I never took the risk of continuously applying for major shows? What if I listened to what people said?” I followed my heart & chased my dream of being a recognized artist in Miami & New York, even though I still am working with my passion of being an art teacher.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.keadrakreates.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keadrakreates
