Baton Rouge artist and LSU professor Kelli Scott Kelley has often used found fabric and antique linens as the canvas for her mixed-media paintings, imprinting her own story over that of the original seamstress and the years of wear and tear.
With Accalia and the Swamp Monster, Kelley stitches it all together into a Southern fable that’s akin to the strange fairy tales of Europe—those stories that were somewhat disturbing before they were sweetened for Disney audiences. Kelley’s book also contains elements of ancient mythology. In one scene, the main character, Accalia, whose head is that of a dog’s with two faces, gives birth to an ape-human in illustrated detail.
Kelley’s characters are mostly humans with animal features or animals with human features, paddling pirogues through a primitive swamp landscape. The story feels old and packed with symbolism about femininity and maturation. Each trial on her journey is a transformation, often literally, for Accalia.
