Artist Bio

Kiara is a Midwest-based artist with a Bachelor of Arts in Art and English from Luther College and the University of Nottingham. They find interest in the drama of Renaissance and Baroque era paintings, the visceral nature of work by artists like Francis Bacon and Jenny Saville, and the raw emotion of poets like Richard Siken. There is a conversation to be had in the space between the artist’s original intentions creating work and the viewer’s personal experiences construing meaning, and that is what they are interested in exploring. Kiara is currently working with representational portraiture in oil painting and abstracted ink “nightmare creatures” mixed with short form poetry.

Artist Statement

To connect with a stranger through a shared human experience, however joyous or traumatic it may be, is a gift. Through multitudes of differences, we all feel the same emotions in life and can find common ground to celebrate, to heal, to cry together. My loss is your loss. Your love is my love. Maybe my sadness is your joy - or vice versa - but we both understand those emotions, and we share the knowledge of that feeling. We connect, even when we don’t want to, even if we aren’t aware. It is a gift.