Kris Kezar

Biography

I’ve always been fascinated by art, and really, the act of creation in general. My father was a draftsman: a technical illustrator, for General Dynamics. My mother loved to paint, and loved to participate in theatre, both acting and doing theatrical makeup. So it’s probably no surprise that I’ve been drawing since I could hold something to scribble with.

I’ve been a professional tattoo artist since 2003, as well as working as a fine artist and illustrator since around 1998. I started my tattooing career in San Diego, where I was born and raised, and I’ve spent most of my professional career here, aside from a four year span of tattooing and living in Seattle, Washington. My work has been featured in several publications, including Out Of Step Books’ “Meows and Roars,” “Pandemonium,” and “Excavate” art and tattoo compilation books. My artwork has also been displayed in several shows, including SD-Too Gallery’s “Taking Sail,” and “Ten,” exhibitions.

Most of the time If I’m not tattooing, drawing, or painting, I’m reading — mostly fantasy and science-fiction — and some of my earliest exposures to art that really made an impression on me were the illustrations in fantasy books, and in role-playing games like Dungeons and dragons (I’m a nerd, what can I say). My other major hobby is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, which I’ve been practicing since around 2008. I was honored to receive my black belt from my Professor Paul Silva in 2017.

Most of my artwork is done using copic markers, but I also enjoy working with oils, and most recently digitally, in addition to, of course, tattooing. The art styles that inspire me most are Art Nouveau, realism, kitsch, baroque, and art deco. My artistic influences are many and varied, but some of my favorites are Alphonse Mucha, Maxfield Parish, J.C. Leyendecker, N.C. Wyeth, John Waterhouse, Phil Hale, Jon Foster, Justin Sweet, Odd Nerdrum, and Gerald Brom, among many, many others.

There are styles and types of art I prefer, but what really draws me to a piece of art, is whether or not it fills me with a sense of wonder. There are certain things that when you see them, they capture you, they literally stun you and they force you to feel something, even (in the case of art) if it’s just admiration for the abilities of the artist. I feel that art should elevate the subject, make it something… more, and hopefully, that ‘something’ takes the viewer with it and elevates them too. This is my goal as an artist, I want to provoke a sense of wonder, importance, and meaning. If I could pay my mortgage and feed myself and my family along the way, that would be great too.