Joel D. Valdez Main Library invites you to view the work of local artist Curt Kiwak. The exhibit will be on display until June 28, 2024.
Artist Statement:
I like to use my art to tell stories, thinking of the page that I work on as a mini theater. I rarely plan out what I put on a canvas or on paper. I grapple with making my images as automatic as possible. I see my process of working akin to a young child who is using art materials to process daily experiences. I dive into my inner child and let randomness find the imagery. I like the detail that I can get in my work by using drawing media and mixing it with paint. I experiment with a variety of drawing materials: charcoal, pencils, pastels, and water-based crayons with acrylic paints.
The strange whimsical worlds that I create excite me, and they have a psychological edge that always surprises me. My story narrative unfolds as I work. A lot of my drawings include images of things that reflect my childhood fears. Some symbols and subjects get repeated often: animals, water, monsters, prisoner of war camp images, and innocents in jeopardy. I am intrigued by how my imagination gets reflected on the page and how the work then takes on a life of its own.
