Living in colour
Originally from Germany and living in London, KIRA BEHNERT creates mixed media artworks on board or canvas, as well as monotype screen prints. Her artworks are contrast-rich, colourful expressions of her experience of the world around her: from a childhood in Germany, years of study in the US and travels to visually rich countries with rich cultures such as the Middle East, to her life now in cosmopolitan urban London.
Deeply influenced by the ideology ‘anything is possible’, her paintings radiate an energetic, positive outlook on life. She aims to push her artworks towards abstraction, leaving works deliberately open-ended and intriguing to the viewer.
Complex layers of paint, collage, and texture in her mixed media works reflect the richness of life’s experiences. In every piece she aims to pass on a feeling of spontaneity, enjoying the moment, embracing life.
In line with her inquisitive mind, she combines a great variety of materials in her practice. Large canvases or boards are transformed with paints, ripped magazine images, found objects, leftover newsprint from the printing studio, crayons and ink. Her monotype screen prints are often abstract expressions of a naive thought or an imaginative escape. There is always a story to be told and an invitation to let the mind wonder.
Exhibitions
2021
Shortlisted for ’50 Shades of Red’ exhibition at Kings House Gallery, Stratford-upon-Avon, UK
Invited to exhibit at M.A.D.S. Art Gallery ,Milano, Italy July’21
Contemporary Arts Fair, Surrey, UK, September’21
2020
Virtual Exhibition, Essential School of Art, London
Virtual Exhibition, Art2Life.com
2019
Group Exhibition, Putney School of Art, London
Group Exhibition, Will’s Art Gallery, London
Group Exhibition, Design Art Concepts, Miami FL
2018
Group Exhibition, Design Art Concepts, Miami FL
Art Studies
Executive Masters Cultural Arts,
Royal Academy of Arts, London, 2020-21
Intuitive Painting,
Essential School of Painting, London 2020
Foundation Diploma,
Putney School of Art & Design, London 2017-2019
Various classes
at London’s prestigious Art schools, London 2005-2016
Get in touch
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CONTEMPORARY ART FAIRS – SURREY 2021
I am delighted to announce I will be exhibiting at the Contemporary Art Fair at Surrey, UK 24th – 26th September 2021
Surrey Hall, Sandown Park Racecource, Portsmouth Road, Esher KT10 9AJ
Vanity Fair UK – March/April/May Issues 2021
Featured in the Lifestyle ‘New Finds’ section of Vanity Fair UK in May/June’21.
Exhibition ‘Extacy – A Trip in My Mind’
Invited to exhibit at M.A.D.S. gallery in Milano, Italy, July’21
People often like to know what inspires me as an artist. Colour and light come to mind immediately – they play an important role for me and in my artworks. Growing up in the North of Germany, frequent travels to warmer, more exotic places with bright blue skies and very different sets of vibrant and sun-bleached paints have held a special fascination since childhood. My artworks are a reflection of my desire for light, warmth, and positivity, no matter how complex or challenging life gets around us.
A multi-cultural upbringing and enthusiasm for travel have created an equal interest in visual stimuli, languages and cultural diversity. This led me initially to an action-filled International business career and to many places all over the world. In the recent past, Art has become a passionate natural extension, a different form to express my enthusiasm. Based in London, a city bursting of cultural diversity and visual stimulation, I get inspired mostly by absorbing what’s around me. My layered works are a celebration of contrasts, expressed in line and form, a variety of textures and materials, in addition to colour and light. The desire to find a inspirational place of peace within complexity is what ultimately drives me to create my Art.
