Day 1: Curtis Alan Kiwak
Curtis Alan Kiwak
Creative Medium: Drawing, Painting
About the Artist
am an artist based in Tucson, Arizona, with decades of exhibitions in venues such as the Tucson Public Library, Tucson International Airport, the Jewish Community Center, Contreras Jewelry and Fine Art Gallery, and the Steinfeld Warehouse Gallery.My work blends the natural world with fantasy and symbolism, drawing on traditions of Magical Realism and the influence of artists like Maurice Sendak and Edward Gorey. I create intricate, narrative-driven images that invite viewers to explore unseen forces and emotional undercurrents shaping our inner lives.
Art, for me, is a form of storytelling—a miniature theater where each page or canvas becomes a stage. My process is spontaneous and intuitive, shaped by my years as an early childhood educator, where I witnessed the power of uninhibited, playful expression. Like children who draw to process experience, I let instinct and emotion guide the imagery.
I work in charcoal, pencil, pastel, water-based crayon, and acrylic, layering symbols such as animals, water, monsters, and innocents in peril. These recurring motifs evoke themes of vulnerability, wonder, and memory. Ultimately, I build magical worlds where whimsy intertwines with the everyday, creating layered allegories that reveal mystery and psychological depth.
Artist Website:
https://www.curtiskiwak.com/
