CURRENT + UPCOMING

DECEMBER 2018 - JANUARY 2019 // OVERLAND PARK, KS

OCT  - DEC 2018 // OLATHE, KS
THE ART OF ILLUMINATION
MABEE LIBRARY, MID-AMERICA NAZARENE UNIVERSITY

This exhibition features selections from my first two bodies of work, My Iron Heart and All Flesh is Grass. In both cases, I studied a great work of art from the past along with the artist who created it.

I created My Iron Heart as I studied the life of John Donne and his nineteen Holy Sonnets, which were written when Donne was attempting to more deeply understand his faith as he converted from Catholicism to Anglicanism. In All Flesh is Grass, I studied the musical form, content, and Biblical texts in Johannes Brahms's Ein Deutsches Requiem, the first theme of which Brahms wrote after his mentor and friend Robert Schumann jumped off of a bridge in a suicide attempt.

Through their works, Brahms and Donne wrestle with life, death, humanity, theology, and the God who has dominion over it all. My paintings are visual artifacts of my journey into the life and work of both of these artists and are a reminder that great art speaks across generations. ​

RECENT PROJECTS

MARCH 2, 2018 - APRIL 30, 2018 // KANSAS CITY
LET THE BONES THAT YOU
​HAVE BROKEN REJOICE

FOUR CHAPTER GALLERY
A visual exploration of the problem of pain through the lens of the passion.

 MARCH 17, 2018 - MAY 2O, 2018 // MINNEAPOLIS
MAGNIFICAT

JOHN XXIII GALLERY, THE BASILICA OF ST. MARY
​Illuminations of Mary's Song of Praise, a collaboration with theologian Kathryn Heidelberger.

WELCOME

I'm an artist living and working in the Kansas City metro + I am humbled to have my work held by corporate and private collectors both nationally and internationally.

I am passionate about marrying music and poetry to visual art. I am interested in culture-shaping and how art can speak into dark places. For more about my motivations, go here.

I accept commissions. Contact me for more info. For some of my available sketch and smaller works, check my shop. For more information on my larger projects, scroll down. There are available works remaining from most of my solo exhibitions, and many are listed in my shop!

FOLLOW ALONG ON INSTAGRAM

I share a lot of behind the scenes shots, stories, and insights on my Instagram account. If you are interested in hearing announcements on new projects, being the first to see available work, and getting regular glimpses into my studio, this is the best place to follow me! 

PAST PROJECTS

MY IRON HEART:
PAINTINGS OF
JOHN DONNE'S HOLY SONNETS

TO STAND IN TENSION:
GROANING WITH GOD IN OUR FEELINGS

ALL FLESH IS GRASS:
ILLUMINATIONS OF BRAHMS'
EIN DEUTSCHES REQUIEM
All artwork, photographs, and text on this site are copyright © Kelly Kruse, 2014-2018. All rights reserved.