Named one of “7 next-big-thing artists” by Elle Decor magazine in 2014 and was showcased by Architectural Digest at the 2015 Home Show in New York City. Kristi’s work has been featured by the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, Luxe Interiors and Design, Domino Magazine, Lonny, West Elm, Nordstrom, Buddy Editions, One Kings Lane, Design Sponge, Apartment Therapy, Chairish, Design Crush Blog, Design Milk, HGTV, The Hunted Interior and more. Her work is currently represented by Walker Contemporary Art, and has been exhibited at the River East Art Center and the ARC Gallery in Chicago, IL and in 2010 was awarded the Juror’s Choice at the Chicago Art Open.
This is part lookbook, part idea book. A conversation starter. An invitation to collaborate. A selection of my work and a jumping off point for new ideas. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did creating it.
“When I am creating, I am in the flow, following my bliss.� Every since I was a little girl, art has been my passion. Every piece I make is born from a whole lot of joy, peace, sweat, grit, hundreds of hours of trial and error, play, fear, doubt, grace, faith, strength and a relentless love of creating. There is a voice inside of me that pushes through the fear and doubt and says to just create. I must create. I have to create. And when I do, it fills me with so much happiness. I know it is my calling.
My process is very intuitive. I start by feeding my head. Looking at the world around me for inspiration. I love design and fashion blogs. I’m obsessed with the visual candy of pinterest, instagram and tumblr. There is beauty everywhere. My work is influenced by color and pattern in the natural world and in the commercial world. A permeating crack on the sidewalk, the vibrant layers of an agate rock, the mix of color that randomly pops up on my pinterest board, the exotic clothing of a faraway place, are my muses.
I love the color and effect created when unexpected colors and textures are combined. You’ll find everything from the finest oil pigment stick to a Crayola marker in my work. I love mixing “high” and “low” art materials. The glossiness of an acrylic paint next to the chalky texture of a pastel. Or an iridescent blend next to a thick, velvety smudge of oil pigment.
It is an intuitive dance of play, working until I find just the right combination of color and texture. I know when it is done when it elicits a feeling inside, a zing, a ping of joy or pleasure that often only comes with that final touch or pop of color, suddenly transforming the piece. That feeling is a connection to something more, something that is not of the day-to-day routine of life. The antithesis of routine. A hint at what’s on the other side of this world. The something more we feel ourselves longing for. For me, making art is to touch the divine. The hidden force that turns a nut into a tree, makes your hear sing when your baby smiles, puts you at that exact spot that you hadn’t planned on being at, right in front of your soulmate. There is magic and mystery all around us. Beauty everywhere. If we can just open our eyes and look. That’s what I am trying to capture.
Would love to hear from you! Please visit me at Choosehapi.com or email me at kristi@hapiart.com.
Choosehapi.com
Š2015 All images and work are copyrighted by Kristi Kohut and may not be reproduced.