Photograph by P.J. Norton
artist statement
Kelvin Pater is a scenic and lighting designer for theater, opera, and film—and a passionate craftsman. Growing up in Amsterdam as the son of a designer and an artist, his childhood sparked a lifelong apprenticeship in house construction and renovation, furniture-building, theater-making, and detailed hand work. Kelvin quickly realized that he can learn to make anything, and he fell in love with realizing his designs by hand. He restored a 1977 Renault car; created a Roman stone path; and designed and built fences, stairs, a composting system, and more. Over time, his curiosity deepened for the infinite ways that space can be sculpted, and he developed a dedication to iteration and play in order to solve the puzzles of space. In both design and construction, Kelvin is committed to collaboration across art forms and cultures. He is passionate about the history and lifecycle of materials and is constantly learning about new and sustainable methods of construction from across the globe. Wherever possible, he reuses and repurposes existing objects, and he always designs with precision and care, keeping an eye on longevity. At his core, Kelvin is a learner; he is a joyful apprentice to the world and all the people in it. He is committed to creating spaces that are functional and alive, and that help tell better stories.
biography
Kelvin earned a BA in Lighting Design at AHK/de Theaterschool in Amsterdam and a MA in Design for Stage & Film at NYU Tisch. Since then, he has worked as a designer, art director, and props artisan for theaters and films across the world. Design credits: DelaMar Theater, Brakke Grond, Frascati WG, Rembrandthouse @ MuseumN8 (Amsterdam); Theatre de l’ Opprime (Paris); Ibsen Festival (Norway); Braunschweig Theater (Germany); Access Theater, The Chain Theater, Columbia University (NY). Associate Design: The Public Theater (NY), Humana Festival (KY). Assistant Design: Metropolitan Opera (NY), Frankfurt Oper. Props Artisan: NYU, Colt Coeur (NY), and several independent films. Currently, Kelvin is in the midst of developing the Natural Light Project, a reusable modular theatrical design system that utilizes natural light in the theater space and reduces waste in the field.
