Kevin Ihrke
Kevin Hello, my name is Kevin Ihrke. I’d like to invite you to come see my studio during this year’s Red Wing Area Studio Tour. I’m a painter and a Red Wing resident. I participated in the studio tour last year as a guest artist at the Anderson Center. This year I’m excited to open my home studio to the public for the first time and let people get a glimpse into where and how I make art. Throughout my life I have created many different bodies of work using a variety of mediums and methods. My work is mostly acrylic paintings, but with styles ranging from realism, to completely non-representational abstract work.
Showing in my home studio is an opportunity to show not only my workspace and tools, but also an ever-growing collection of artwork that I have amassed through 10+ years of studio practice. For the tour, the backyard studio walls will be lined with around 100 of my original pieces. I’ll have recent landscape works, surreal works, abstract works, as well as prints and other eclectic pieces on display. The result will be an in-depth look into my artistic progression over the years. It’s a unique chance for people to see all of these different bodies of artwork up simultaneously, ask questions about all of the various techniques and styles, and purchase art directly from the artist.
My artwork in the last two years has focused on landscape and cloud painting. I take inspiration from the local scenery, impressionism, and the fleeting nature of everyday beauty. Although this body of work is much more realistic than my previous work, its execution and technical attributes are still informed by all of the surreal and abstract work I have made in the past. I hope seeing these all these works and the studio space will be an interesting experience for tour participants. I’m looking forward to talking with people about my work, how I made it, “what it all means,” and changes in inspiration over time. Feel free to hang out a while there will be a lot to take in!
Painting has always been a huge part of my life. The majority of the work will be from the last ten years (post college) but my artistic practice is actually even older. I always loved drawing as a child. My father owns and operates a painting business and I grew up helping the family business and learning about paint dynamics and applications from all of my fathers years of experience. However, I was interested in painting as a mode of artistic expression. I attended Winona State University and graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Fine Art with an emphasis on painting and sculpture. Not only is it my passion, and what I chose to study in college, but I also have years of experience as an industrial painter. I am currently employed by an area sign manufacturing company. I get to use my knowledge and skills to produce high quality and elaborate, multi-color painted metal plaques.
“If my paintings were sentences, wouldn’t they end with question marks?”- Kevin Ihrke
You can currently find my work on Instagram: @_kevses.
