Curtis Alan Kiwak

I 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 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 experiment with a variety of drawing materials. 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. I am intrigued by how my imagination gets reflected on the page and how the work then takes on a life of its own.

I graduated from the University of Arizona with my BFA in 1983. I joined Central Arts Collective that year and remained an active member until 1990. I took a hiatus from the art community and in 2004 returned to studio work. I currently work with ball point and gel pens, pastels mixed with different paint mediums, pencils, charcoal, and paint on paper. They range from 32x40 inches to 5x7 in.