AT: Where are you from and how/why you start engaging to art?

JK: I was born/raised in the state of Michigan, and I now live and work in Brooklyn, NY.  I engage with art because it always felt natural.

AT: When did it become serious

JK: Will it ever become serious, haha.  The work will always be about exploration and having fun.

AT: Are there any person that have been significant in your progression as an artist?

JK: Not one person but all my peers around me.

AT: What’s your first approach to the work? Where does your process start?

JK: I like to start from nothing, just staring at the blank canvas.  I then make a serious of gestures very quickly.  While the material is still wet I begin to cover and erase, then add more marks on top and continue the process until I am satisfied.

AT: What are your favorite tools and materials for working?

JK: Acrylic, spray paint, house paint, plastic scrapers, I am barely using brushes these days

AT: Do you leave your work open to interpretation? Or do you think the viewer should engage with your work in a specific way?

JK: I like to give the viewer very little prompt about my work.  It is all about interpretation.

AT: How do you feel while you are working? You think of the final result?

JK: Anxious, uncertain.  I rarely think of the final result, it is more about the journey.

AT: How do you understand when a work in finished?

JK: When the act of making feels finished.  Or when I think if I continue to work the piece I will make mistakes.  I often have to stop myself from overworking a piece.

AT: Where does the inspiration for the work come from? Do you find inspiration outside or it’s all inside you?

JK: Both inside and out.  I am inspired lately by construction sites and graffiti on box trucks.  I am also inspired by other peoples work.  I am constantly looking and wondering about new process and material application.

AT: Do you think art can be learned or it is something innate?

JK: Both.

AT: How important is for you the role of social media?

JK: I love it and hate it at the same time.  It has brought me many opportunities but can also make you feel inadequate.

AT: What’s your opinion about the contemporary art system now a days from your point of view as an artist?

JK: We are no longer in the Art world, we are only in the Art market.  It is sad and confusing.

AT: What do you find to be the most challenging or daunting thing about pursuing art? What is the most rewarding part of working as an artist?

JK: Finding the time to make it is the hardest part, I have so many ideas throughout the day, but not enough time in the studio.  The most rewarding part is the process, the constant struggle of uncertainty and enjoying the final outcome.

AT: What do you do outside of painting?

JK: I play drums and ride my bicycle a lot.

AT: What are your goals and expectations for the future?

JK: To keep making and showing work.  To challenge myself and my process, constantly growing and learning.

Studio view