Nurturing the Creative Spirit with Lake Kelly

Lisa Tran Kelly (performing as Lake Kelly) is a Vietnamese/Australian harpist, muralist and multidisciplinary artist based in Meanjin, Brisbane. Kelly’s musical creations and visual arts practice sit side by side as complimentary mediums through which she finds creative expression. Her work often explores themes of impermanence, dreams and the subconscious to produce immersive art experiences.

Kelly’s soundscapes include vintage harp pedals, loops, field recordings of the natural environment and a beautifully crafted harp that Kelly built herself. She has played at The Calile, GOMA, The Powerhouse, Brisbane Quarter in solo arrangements and at QPAC to name a few. Kelly’s creativity extends to mural artworks that have been showcased at Brisbane Street Art Festival, Brisbane Canvas and she is currently preparing to paint a mural for BrisAsia Festival 2024.

In this Colour Box Studio interview, Kelly discusses embracing music, art and imagination at an early age as the foundations of her creative practice, the meaningful process of building her own harp, and how she fosters the creative spirit through the creative journey.

Lisa Tran Kelly – Goma Fairytales Image. Photo by Kyle Dobie.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do.

My name is Lisa and I’m a harpist (Lake Kelly), muralist (The Moon Gallery) and social worker (corporate hoe 9-5), currently doing counselling in Eating Disorders.

I’ve always had to hold my creative practice alongside non-art related study, driven by a need for stability and financial independence; values that were important foundations of survival for my family. I’ve done my best to balance all three worlds, but I’m considering taking a leap of faith to give more time to my creative spirit next year. 

How did you start your creative practice and why?

I have been painting, scribbling and doodling for as long as I can remember and the same with music. I have a Casio keyboard that my parents bought for my first birthday, I dug it up recently and it still amazingly works! Music and art have been something I’ve sort of had no choice with: I’ve always been compelled to make, listen or paint whether I’ve tried to push it away or not. 

Muraling was always something that I wanted to do, growing up making mostly miniature art, it was a liberating experience to take up so much space and work with such huge strokes of paint! The harp journey was a fire that started from a young age as well. I read a lot of fantasy novels and played a lot of video games when I was younger. I’ve always been entranced by the sensory experience of these imaginary worlds, the combination of sound and visuals to create a whole new existence. Harp has been a bit of a special interest since then and every instrument I learnt in my childhood (piano, percussion, guitar) was to build skills for the day I could meet with the harp. 

Lisa Kelly Tran - Baby Casio photo, 1995. Image courtesy of the artist.
Lisa Kelly Tran – Baby Casio photo, 1995. Image courtesy of the artist.
Where did you grow up and how has it influenced your practice?

I grew up mostly in Meanjin, Australia but was homeschooled in Malaysia for some of my primary school years. Growing up I also spent a lot of time in Saigon in Vietnam where my mother is from, as well as summers in Tasmania where my father is from. I feel very lucky to have been able to connect to so many different beautiful, diverse spaces. In my arts practice I am constantly inspired by themes of identity, folklore and symbolism tied to my different cultural connections.  A lot of the music I make starts with field recordings from time in nature that is special to me and Tasmanian soundscapes feature a lot in the songs that I am working on. 

Field Recording POV Boat Harbour Beach, Lutruwita
Field Recording POV Boat Harbour Beach, Lutruwita
Polaroid from Harp Workshop 2020 with Geoff Wellham
Polaroid from Harp Workshop 2020 with Geoff Wellham.
Tell us about your past creative projects. What has been your most treasured creation/ highlight so far?

My most treasured highlight so far would be building my harp in 2020. It was an ambitious quest that aligned within a fortuitous gap between state-wide lockdowns when I was able to drive from Brisbane to Nymboida, NSW to stay with Geoff Wellham and his wife Annie as well as two other harp makers for a week in the misty hillside. I learnt so much in my time there about the heart of the harp’s voice, working with the grain of wood, the strength of instruments and the power in the tension of strings. Geoff sadly passed after that workshop, so I am incredibly grateful to have spent that time with him learning and sharing the love of the harp. It’s really changed my life. 

Mural by Lisa Kelly Tran at Vent Artspace. Photo by Melanie Hinds 02
Mural by Lisa Kelly Tran at Vent Artspace. Photo by Melanie Hinds.
Tell us about your current project.

Currently I am prepping for a mural in the Fish Lane Arts Precinct for BrisAsia fest. The wall is called “I Wish I Knew You” and is about losing my Ba Ngoai (grandmother) when I was younger and the missed opportunities to learn about culture and identity through a relationship with her. It has been a while since I’ve been on a scissor lift but I’m so excited to dive into mural world again for this project and festival that is very close to my heart.

Who or what inspires your practice?

The impermanence of life (corny but true), the reliability in the unreliability of things, clouds, bodies of water, the honesty of children, sharing food with friends. 

Lisa Tran Kelly
Lisa Tran Kelly. Princess Chateau. Photo by Sinclair Cole, Saint Geoire en-Valdaine France 2023.
Polaroid of Harp at creek. Photo credit - Matthew Doueal
Polaroid of Harp at creek. Photo credit – Matthew Doueal
Where do you feel most creative and why.

I feel the most creative in the solitude of my studio following the company of my friends, or when I’ve visited my favourite reflective nature spots. Impromptu jamming with friends is always just the best experience ever, that moment when you become one instrument? That’s what life is about! 

What do you hope audiences take from your work?

The best compliment has been that my music sends people to sleep which is all I could hope for, that it brings some sort of tranquility and reflection (even if maybe it’s in a boring way hehe). 

What gets you through creative challenges or tough industry times?

The creative spirit travels aboard such a bumpy roller coaster at times doesn’t it! I’ve spent my lifetime battling an internal struggle with valuing my art practice and have only recently come to a place of peace and acceptance for my insatiable need to make, paint or play. With that acceptance, came the beginning of this whole journey for me which was to make music that I liked because I enjoyed playing it and hearing it. In that sense, it wouldn’t matter for me if no one ever saw or heard the things I make and if I ended up being an old hag playing harp alone in the woods (inevitable reality of retirement I hope), then that’s fine. To make in a way that is authentic and true is the point for me, and in that way I free myself of any expectation which I find helps overcome those creative challenges. 

What future projects are you looking forward to?

I am looking forward to completing a Palazzo Piano album and ambient harp album next year! I have been sitting on this dream for years and am so excited to have the time to let it out of the cage of my head and bring it into the world. I’m going to combine practices or visuals with sound for this project and have some angel musician friends lined up to collaborate on it – I can’t wait! 

Whose work are you digging at the moment?

Miles Myjavec (incredible music/painter/design genius, genuine gentle heart); Wendy ma (ceramic, fashion angel goddess); Kiki Zeng (multitalented IT ceramic artist nymph); Kyle Dobie (photographer extraordinaire and favourite yuppy); Emma Trewhella (ocean fashion goddess); Clea Pratt (songstress music witch of dreams); Ellamay Fitzgerald (Photographer, artist, saint); Anna Whitaker (violinist, sound engineer, pure gold); Sinclair Cole (greatest oil painter of our generation). And so many many many more!!!

Where can we find and follow you online?

@lake__kelly  | Lake Kelly on Spotify | www.lisatrankelly.com

Mural by Lisa Kelly Tran at Vent Artspace. Photo by Melanie Hinds 01
Mural by Lisa Kelly Tran at Vent Artspace. Photo by Melanie Hinds.

If you’re into art and creativity, check out these Colour Box Studio interviews with other creatives: click here.

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