Jean-Paul Kelly is an artist whose activities across various media, presented in exhibition and screening contexts, pose questions about the limits of representation by examining complex associations in the production, reception, and circulation of nonfiction material. His work has been presented in solo exhibitions at VOX Centre de l’image contemporaine (Montréal, 2019), Plug In ICA (Winnipeg, 2019), Delfina Foundation (London, 2016), Wexner Center for the Arts (Columbus, 2014), Scrap Metal Gallery (Toronto, 2013), and Gallery TPW (Toronto, 2008). 

Kelly’s work has been included in group exhibitions at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) Toronto (GTA24: The Greater Toronto Art Triennial, 2024), Badischer Kunstverein (Karlsruhe, 2021), Musée d’art contemporain des Laurentides (Saint-Jérôme, 2016), Southwark Park Galleries (London, 2016), Oakville Galleries (2015), Mercer Union (Toronto, 2010 and 2014) and The Power Plant (Toronto, 2011). His videos have screened at Anthology Film Archives, The Brakhage Center Symposium, Canada House (London), Courtisane Festival, The Flaherty Film Seminar, Film at Lincoln Center, International Film Festival Rotterdam, New York Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, and TIFF Cinematheque. Kelly received the 2014 Kazuko Trust Award from Film at Lincoln Center and the 2015 Images Festival Award. 

He is an Assistant Professor and previous Program Director of Visual Studies, the Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design at the University of Toronto. A graduate of the Master of Visual Studies program at the Daniels Faculty (MVS, Studio Art, 2005), he has taught studio and seminar courses in the Visual Studies program as well as at the School of Image Arts, Toronto Metropolitan University and OCAD University. 

From 2009 to 2012, Kelly was Artistic Director of Trinity Square Video (Toronto) where he curated exhibitions including artists Abbas Akhavan, Jennifer Chan, Harry Dodge, Alison Kobayashi, Alex Morrison, Lisa Oppenheim, Andrew James Paterson, Paulette Phillips, Steve Reinke, James Richards, Ming Wong, and Jin-Me Yoon.