ken keirns
About
Ken Keirns is a Midwestern oil painter. After spending the last decade living in Chicago and California, he recently settled in Colorado where he paints full time and looks forward to the winter. While his primary medium is oil, he also enjoys creating sculptures and mixed-media pieces. His subject matter includes female portraiture and anthropomorphic creatures interlaced with personal experiences, dreams, and the occasional bad pun. Ken's formal education is in graphic design and, while he has taken a few formal painting classes, is mostly self-taught. Ken's artwork has been acquired by collectors across the U.S., Europe and Asia, and has been featured in publications including Spectrum, Catapult, and Hi-Fructose.
Solo Shows:
"Already Yesterday"
June 1, 2018
Stranger Factory Gallery / Albuquerque, NM
"Short Stories"
New work by Ken Keirns
November 11, 2016
Rotofugi Gallery / Chicago, IL
Sirens & Horns
New work by Ken Keirns
April 10 - May 3, 2015
Rotofugi Gallery / Chicago, IL
Copro Gallery presents
4 mini solo exhibitions & 2 guest artists
June 14, 2014
CoproGallery / Santa Monica, CA
Deja Vu
selected works by Ken Keirns
Jan 9, 2014
Madelife / Boulder, CO
Passed the Shadows
New work by Ken Keirns
Nov 1, 2013
Rotofugi Gallery / Chicago, IL
Quietly
New work by Ken Keirns
March 9, 2012
Rotofugi Gallery / Chicago, IL
Monkey In The Middle
June 17, 2011
myplasticheart / New York, NY
Alone With Ghosts
March 12, 2011
Gallery1988 / Venice, CA
Dreams Burn Down
New work by Ken Keirns
April 30, 2010
Rotofugi Gallery / Chicago, IL
Common Nonsense
May 1, 2009
Rotofugi Gallery / Chicago, IL, 2009
Stream of Unconsciousness
April 4, 2008
Rotofugi Gallery / Chicago, IL
Hot Babes In Toyland
May 4, 2007
Rotofugi Gallery / Chicago, IL
11eleven
November 11, 2006
Parts Unknown Gallery / Chicago, IL
Sineaters and Eyesores
Nov. 7, 1999
Otherwise Gallery / Lansing MI
Group Shows:
"Good and Evil"
February 16, 2024
Nanny Goat Gallery / Petaluma, CA
"Ephemeral"
February 16, 2024
Nanny Goat Gallery / Petaluma, CA
"Brings May Flowers 2"
February 16, 2024
Arch Enemy Arts / Philadelphia, PA
"12 Year Anniversary"
April 5, 2024
Arch Enemy Arts / Philadelphia, PA
"Celestial"
February 16, 2024
Arch Enemy Arts / Philadelphia, PA
"Beautiful Mutants, Curated by Chris Breshears"
February 10, 2024
Brassworks Gallery / Portland, OR
"Elixer"
January 5, 2024
Arch Enemy Arts / Philadelphia, PA
"Brassworks Gallery First Annual Postcard Show"
December 9, 2023
Brassworks Gallery / Portland, OR
"Arch Enemy Arts 2023 Spotlight Showcase"
March 3, 2023
Arch Enemy Arts / Philadelphia, PA
"Into the October Country"
October 1, 2022
Supersonic Art
"The Portrait Show X"
2022
Modern Eden Gallery / San Francisco, CA
"Dumpster Friends Forever 2"
July 1, 2022
Rotofugi Gallery / Chicago, IL
"Blurred Lines, A Khali Show”
February 5, 2021
Strangecat Gallery / Tampa, FL
"Stranger Factory's Seventh Annual Winter Salon"
December 1 - 31, 2017
Stranger Factory Gallery / Albuquerque, NM
"BFF2, A Group Exhibit of Friends"
February 9, 2020
Rotofugi Gallery / Chicago, IL
"Bewitching VII" Group show
October 6 - 29, 2017
Stranger Factory Gallery / Albuquerque, NM
WOW x WOW presents "Room of a Thousand Doors"
online group exhibition
1 - 22, September 2017
"Aeternus" Group show
April 7 - 28, 2017
Alexi Era Gallery
"Grimm"
Visions of the Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales Group Exhibit
June 5 - July 10, 2015
Helikon Gallery / Denver, CO
Portrait Show
February, 2015
Baker + Hesseldenz Fine Art Gallery / Tucson, AZ
Spark & Ruin
Anatomy of a Flame
February 3, 2015
Helikon Gallery / Denver, CO
"10 x 10"
Rotofugi Gallery 10th Anniversary Group Exhibit
Aug 8 - Aug 31, 2014
Rotofugi Gallery / Chicago, IL
"Mad Hatters"
Group Exhibition
Nov 23, 2014
Flower Pepper Gallery / Pasadena, CA
Group Show at CoproGallery
May 25th 8-11:30pm
CoproGallery / Santa Monica, CA
"eyeCandy" group show
Group Exhibition
March 30, 2012
WWA gallery / Culver City, CA
"The Illumination" group art exhibition Copro Gallery Christmas Party
December 15, 2012
CoproGallery / Santa Monica, CA
"Fairy Tale Group Art Show"
August 11, 2012
Dragatomi / Sacramento, CA
"Signs Of The Apocalypse"
August 3, 2012
myplasticheart / New York, NY
"Rayguns and Robots"
June 16, 2012
Ltd. Art Gallery / Seattle, Washington
"Wasted: The Great American Past Time" Curated by: Dave MacDowell
June 9, 2012
WWA gallery / Culver City, CA
"About Face" Group Show
January 13, 2012
WWA gallery / Culver City, CA
"Spectrum" Group Show
October 14, 2011
fabric8 gallery / San Francisco, CA
"Is This Thing On?: A Tribute to Funny People"
January 7, 2011
Gallery1988 / Los Angeles, CA
"Playboy Redux 2"
December 18, 2010
Copro Gallery / Santa Monica, CA
The Idol Hours
November 13, 2010
London Miles Gallery / London, UK
Natural Resources 3
November 13, 2010
Lift / Detroit, MI
Wes Anderson Film Tribute show
October 30, 2010
Lopo Gallery / San Francisco, CA
Crazy 4 Cult Customs
September 4, 2010
Gallery 1988 / San Francisco, CA
Playboy Redux: Contemporary Artists Interpret the Iconic Playboy Bunny
August 27, 2010
Rotofugi Gallery / Chicago, IL
Pop Surrealism
June 26, 2010
Museo Carandente Palazzo Collicola
Piazza Collicola - Spoleto (PG) ITALY
Crazy for Cult 4
July 9, 2010
Gallery 1988 / Los Angeles, CA
Lucid Dream
March 12, 2010
The Alternative cafe / Seaside, CA
G40: The Summit
March 1, 2010
Art Whino / Crystal City, VA
4 Person Show:
Jonathan Bergeron, Ken Keirns, Jeremiah Ketner, Jason Limon
November 13, 2009
Gallery 1988 / San Francisco, CA
Bigshot Toyworks & Mike Burnett present "Natural Resources"
November 6, 2009
Shoparooni / Cleveland, OH
4 Person Show
September 2009
T&P Gallery Gallery / Philadelphia, PA,
"Say When" Group Show
April 4, 2009
Bold Hype Gallery / Orlando, FL
Idiot Box
April 2, 2009
Gallery 1988 / Los Angeles, CA
3 Person Show with Ahren Hertel, Ken Keirns & Lyle Motley
March, 2009
Distinction Gallery / Escondido, CA,
Under the Influence: A Tribute to the Beastie Boys
January 8 - 29, 2009
Gallery 1988 / Los Angeles, CA
Black Market/Black Maria: Skip the Mall
Nov 22, 2008
Black Maria Gallery / Los Angeles, CA
Inaugural Show at T&P Fine Art
November 7, 2008
T&P Fine Art / Philadelphia, PA
Halloween Exhibition
October 25, 2008
Gallery Provocateur / Chicago IL
MADL Citizens
October 25, 2008
LIFT / Detroit, MI
Distinction Gallery benefit for The Lewy Body Dementia Organization
August, 2008
Distinction Gallery / San Diego, CA
Crazy for Cult 2
August, 2008
Gallery 1988 / Los Angeles, CA
House of Liu Custom Show
August 22, 2008
APW Gallery / New York, NY
Plushform Custom Exhibit
June 27, 2008
Rotofugi Gallery / Chicago, IL
The New Mythology
April 2008
Dorothy Circus Gallery / Via Nuoro 17, 00182 Roma, Italy
Carnivora: The Dark Art Of Automobiles
May 3, 2008
L'imagerie Gallery / Los Angeles, CA
Le Premiere
March 1 - May 18
Gallery Provocateur / Chicago IL
Toys
April 1, 2008
Gallery 1988 / Los Angeles, CA
Le Premiere
March 1 - May 18
Gallery Provocateur / Chicago IL
The 9th Annual Dirty Show
Detroit MI, Valentines Weekend
Bitters & Sweets
November 6, 2007
Gallery 1988 / Los Angeles, CA,
Valley of the Hairdos
September 15, 2007
The Venice Contemporary / Los Angeles, CA
The Witching Hour
October 5, 2007
Subtext / San Diego, California,
BFF
August 2007
Rotofugi Gallery / Chicago, IL
Fresh Faces Summer Series
June 16, 2007
The Venice Contemporary / Los Angeles, CA
Picks of the Harvest: Batch 4
April 13, 2007
Thinkspace Gallery / Los Angeles, CA
Spring Invitational
March 24, 2007
The Venice Contemporary / Los Angeles, CA
5, 6, 7, 8 & 9 Annual Dirty Show
Valentine's Day Weekend
Detroit, MI
Lollapalooza 2006, work selected for display
Teddy Troops Invasion
June 2, 2006
Rotofugi / Chicago, IL
Echo Gallery, Permanent Collection
October 2002- July 2006
Chicago, IL
Toy 2R Bunny Qee Fiesta:
April 10 - 27, 2006
Hong Kong
Valentine's Day Massacre
February 10, 2006
DVA Gallery / Chicago, IL
Sneaker Pimps, the worlds largest touring sneaker exhibition
August 5, 2006
Chicago, IL
Chop Shop, custom toy show
July 14, 2005
Comicon / San Diego, CA
"Around the Coyote"
Exhibition - 2001, 2002 & 2003
Chicago, IL
"Lolita" theme show 2001
June 8, 2001
Thirteenth Floor Gallery / Chicago, IL
Feitico Gallery
Jan.6, , 2001
Chicago, IL
2001 Niche Awards
Finalist in art competition
Niche Magazine, Baltimore,MD
Publications:
Mirior Magazine, Animalia issue, December, 2013
Mirior Magazine, Day of the Dead Issue, October, 2013
Catapult Magazine, 10 page interview, Issue #9 - May, 2012
Pop Surealism, Stay Foolish!, Show Catalog
2012 BSC News, Cover and interview, March, 2012
Crazy4Cult: Cult Movie Art, 2011
Hi-Fructose Collected Edition 2 Box Set, 2010
Pop Surrealism: What A Wonderfool World, 2010
Spectrum 15, the best of contemporary art, 2008
The New Mythology Exhibition Book, 2008
Lee's Toy Review Magazine, Coverage of the Gallery 1988 "Toys" exhibit
Hi Fructose Magazine, Volume 7, "Gored" photo
Hi Fructose Magazine, Volume 6, 5 page article
Computer Arts Project Magazine, October 2007
Toy2R Bunny Qee Fiesta Postcard Book, April 2006
Dot Dot Dash: Designer Toys, Action Figures And Character Art, October, 2006
Spectrum 13, the best of contemporary art, October, 2006
Heavy Metal Magazine, March 2006
Prints and Merchandise:
Modify Watches
4 different designs to choose from.
"Swanky Ape"
Painting for Arcade Brewing beer label
Chicago, IL
Primus Spring Tour Poster Series
May 23, 2012
Columbus Ohio show
Thumbtack Press, open run prints
"I think we are just going to have to be secretly in love with each other..."
Limited edition giclee print
"Terry: Patron Saint of 80's Metal"
T-shirt by Ken Keirns & Formula Werkz
"Isolation" Limited edition giclee print from Rotofugi Gallery
"Band-Aid" Limited edition giclee print from Gallery1988
"Randy: Her Satanic Majesties Reject"
T-shirt by Ken Keirns & Formula Werkz