Julz Kelly is a multidisciplinary conceptual artist in Oakland and San Francisco, CA. Self-taught but formally trained in dance, Julz started their art career choreographing provocative modern dance pieces in the conservative Central Valley while studying journalism. They later became a mental health counselor and drag queen, where they performed weekly in the underground gay club, experimenting with satirical self-portraits, as well as high femme, masc, and queer aesthetics. Kelly also studied sociology and likes pairing therapeutic modalities with the sociological imagination to inspire social and political commentary with their art. They are constantly in process with what society deems "shameful," creating works that look at the "shadow side" of human existence through the lens of play. They transform oppression while exploring power dynamics through photography, installations, avant-garde fashion, wearable sculptures, experimental shorts, performances, and choreography. Recent works include a Jungian/IFS photography series called "Sandplay," where they queer the therapeutic modality used in child and adult therapy, making surrealist dreamscapes about their life with found objects and miniatures in a pink sandbox. Their art has been featured at venues such as SFAC Main Gallery, Root Division, Black and White Projects, SOMArts, Right Window Gallery, Little Raven Gallery, Artist Television Access, Submission, The Lab, The Stud, the Seattle and Boston LGBT Film Festivals, The Center for Sex and Culture, YBCA, and internationally.