Caffyn’s drawings and fabric works link issues of identity and difference to environment and society. In public art projects she works with others to explore these issues in community contexts. 
Caffyn Kelley, Spirit/Warning, 52″ x 35″, mixed fabric, appliquéd and quilted. Private collection. According to legend, a bird inside the house is a warning of imminent peril. Outside, a bird is a symbol of the spirit’s capacity to swoop and soar. This quilt refers to the danger and opportunity of the current environmental crisis. Affecting inner and outer worlds, the crisis reveals the entanglement of nature with our own hearts.
© Caffyn Kelley, Lovers and Fish: Turning, Returning, 20″ x 53.” Caffyn writes, “This piece is from a series in which I explore affinities between same-sex lovers and salmon.Like salmon, we journey home, against the current and against the odds. ” For more information on this and other works exploring queer meanings, see Queer Images.
In 2001 Caffyn worked with the community of Trout Lake, Vancouver, creating over 40 artworks on nature and natural history. These included two community quilts and a large-scale environmental sculpture. For more information on this and other images see Community Quilt Projects