top of page

About

 

 

Ken Keirns is a Midwestern oil painter. After spending the last decade living in Chicago and California, he recently settled in Colorado where he paints full time and looks forward to the winter. While his primary medium is oil, he also enjoys creating sculptures and mixed-media pieces. His subject matter includes female portraiture and anthropomorphic creatures interlaced with personal experiences, dreams, and the occasional bad pun. Ken's formal education is in graphic design and, while he has taken a few formal painting classes, is mostly self-taught. Ken's artwork has been acquired by collectors across the U.S., Europe and Asia, and has been featured in publications including Spectrum, Catapult, and Hi-Fructose.

Solo Shows:

 

"Already Yesterday"

June 1, 2018

Stranger Factory Gallery / Albuquerque, NM

 

"Short Stories"

New work by Ken Keirns
November 11, 2016
Rotofugi Gallery / Chicago, IL

Sirens & Horns
New work by Ken Keirns
April 10 - May 3, 2015
Rotofugi Gallery / Chicago, IL

Copro Gallery presents
4 mini solo exhibitions & 2 guest artists
June 14, 2014
CoproGallery / Santa Monica, CA

 

Deja Vu

selected works by Ken Keirns

Jan 9, 2014

Madelife / Boulder, CO

 

Passed the Shadows

New work by Ken Keirns

Nov 1, 2013

Rotofugi Gallery / Chicago, IL

Quietly

New work by Ken Keirns

March 9, 2012

Rotofugi Gallery / Chicago, IL

Monkey In The Middle

June 17, 2011

myplasticheart / New York, NY

 

Alone With Ghosts

March 12, 2011

Gallery1988 / Venice, CA

Dreams Burn Down

New work by Ken Keirns

April 30, 2010

Rotofugi Gallery / Chicago, IL

Common Nonsense

May 1, 2009

Rotofugi Gallery / Chicago, IL, 2009

Stream of Unconsciousness

April 4, 2008

Rotofugi Gallery / Chicago, IL

Hot Babes In Toyland

May 4, 2007

Rotofugi Gallery / Chicago, IL

11eleven

November 11, 2006

Parts Unknown Gallery / Chicago, IL

Sineaters and Eyesores

Nov. 7, 1999

Otherwise Gallery / Lansing MI 

 

 

Group Shows:
 

"Good and Evil"

February 16, 2024

Nanny Goat Gallery / Petaluma, CA

"Ephemeral"

February 16, 2024

Nanny Goat Gallery / Petaluma, CA

"Brings May Flowers 2"

February 16, 2024

Arch Enemy Arts / Philadelphia, PA 

"12 Year Anniversary"

April 5, 2024

Arch Enemy Arts / Philadelphia, PA 

"Celestial"

February 16, 2024

Arch Enemy Arts / Philadelphia, PA 

"Beautiful Mutants, Curated by Chris Breshears"

February 10, 2024

Brassworks Gallery / Portland, OR

"Elixer"

January 5, 2024

Arch Enemy Arts / Philadelphia, PA

"Brassworks Gallery First Annual Postcard Show"

December 9, 2023

Brassworks Gallery / Portland, OR

"Arch Enemy Arts 2023 Spotlight Showcase"

March 3, 2023

Arch Enemy Arts / Philadelphia, PA

"Into the October Country"

October 1, 2022

Supersonic Art

"The Portrait Show X"

2022

Modern Eden Gallery / San Francisco, CA

"Dumpster Friends Forever 2"

July 1, 2022

Rotofugi Gallery / Chicago, IL

"Blurred Lines, A Khali Show”

February 5, 2021

Strangecat Gallery / Tampa, FL

 

"Stranger Factory's Seventh Annual Winter Salon"
December 1 - 31, 2017
Stranger Factory Gallery / Albuquerque, NM 

"BFF2, A Group Exhibit of Friends"

February 9, 2020

Rotofugi Gallery / Chicago, IL

 

"Bewitching VII" Group show
October 6 - 29, 2017
Stranger Factory Gallery / Albuquerque, NM 

 

WOW x WOW presents "Room of a Thousand Doors"
online group exhibition
1 - 22, September 2017

 

"Aeternus" Group show
April 7 - 28, 2017
Alexi Era Gallery

 

"Grimm"
Visions of the Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales Group Exhibit
June 5 - July 10, 2015 

Helikon Gallery / Denver, CO

 

Portrait Show
February, 2015
Baker + Hesseldenz Fine Art Gallery / Tucson, AZ

 

Spark & Ruin
Anatomy of a Flame
February 3, 2015
Helikon Gallery / Denver, CO

 

"10 x 10"
Rotofugi Gallery 10th Anniversary Group Exhibit
Aug 8 - Aug 31, 2014
Rotofugi Gallery / Chicago, IL

 

"Mad Hatters"
Group Exhibition
Nov 23, 2014
Flower Pepper Gallery / Pasadena, CA

Group Show at CoproGallery
May 25th 8-11:30pm
CoproGallery / Santa Monica, CA

"eyeCandy" group show
Group Exhibition
March 30, 2012
WWA gallery / Culver City, CA

"The Illumination" group art exhibition Copro Gallery Christmas Party
December 15, 2012
CoproGallery / Santa Monica, CA

"Fairy Tale Group Art Show"
August 11, 2012
Dragatomi / Sacramento, CA

"Signs Of The Apocalypse"
August 3, 2012
myplasticheart / New York, NY

"Rayguns and Robots"
June 16, 2012
Ltd. Art Gallery / Seattle, Washington

"Wasted: The Great American Past Time" Curated by: Dave MacDowell
June 9, 2012
WWA gallery / Culver City, CA

"About Face" Group Show
January 13, 2012
WWA gallery / Culver City, CA

"Spectrum" Group Show
October 14, 2011
fabric8 gallery / San Francisco, CA

"Is This Thing On?: A Tribute to Funny People"

January 7, 2011
Gallery1988 / Los Angeles, CA


"Playboy Redux 2"
December 18, 2010
Copro Gallery / Santa Monica, CA

The Idol Hours
November 13, 2010
London Miles Gallery / London, UK

Natural Resources 3
November 13, 2010
Lift / Detroit, MI

Wes Anderson Film Tribute show
October 30, 2010
Lopo Gallery / San Francisco, CA

Crazy 4 Cult Customs
September 4, 2010
Gallery 1988 / San Francisco, CA

Playboy Redux: Contemporary Artists Interpret the Iconic Playboy Bunny
August 27, 2010
Rotofugi Gallery / Chicago, IL

Pop Surrealism
June 26, 2010
Museo Carandente Palazzo Collicola
Piazza Collicola - Spoleto (PG) ITALY

Crazy for Cult 4
July 9, 2010
Gallery 1988 / Los Angeles, CA

Lucid Dream
March 12, 2010
The Alternative cafe / Seaside, CA

G40: The Summit
March 1, 2010
Art Whino / Crystal City, VA

4 Person Show:

Jonathan Bergeron, Ken Keirns, Jeremiah Ketner, Jason Limon
November 13, 2009
Gallery 1988 / San Francisco, CA

Bigshot Toyworks & Mike Burnett present "Natural Resources"
November 6, 2009
Shoparooni / Cleveland, OH

4 Person Show
September 2009

T&P Gallery Gallery / Philadelphia, PA,

"Say When" Group Show
April 4, 2009
Bold Hype Gallery / Orlando, FL

Idiot Box
April 2, 2009
Gallery 1988 / Los Angeles, CA


3 Person Show with Ahren Hertel, Ken Keirns & Lyle Motley
March, 2009
Distinction Gallery / Escondido, CA,

Under the Influence: A Tribute to the Beastie Boys
January 8 - 29, 2009
Gallery 1988 / Los Angeles, CA

Black Market/Black Maria: Skip the Mall

Nov 22, 2008
Black Maria Gallery / Los Angeles, CA

Inaugural Show at T&P Fine Art
November 7, 2008
T&P Fine Art / Philadelphia, PA

Halloween Exhibition

October 25, 2008
Gallery Provocateur / Chicago IL

MADL Citizens
October 25, 2008

LIFT / Detroit, MI

Distinction Gallery benefit for The Lewy Body Dementia Organization
August, 2008

Distinction Gallery / San Diego, CA

Crazy for Cult 2

August, 2008
Gallery 1988 / Los Angeles, CA

House of Liu Custom Show

August 22, 2008
APW Gallery / New York, NY

Plushform Custom Exhibit
June 27, 2008
Rotofugi Gallery / Chicago, IL

The New Mythology

April 2008
Dorothy Circus Gallery / Via Nuoro 17, 00182 Roma, Italy

Carnivora: The Dark Art Of Automobiles

May 3, 2008
L'imagerie Gallery / Los Angeles, CA

Le Premiere
March 1 - May 18
Gallery Provocateur / Chicago IL

Toys
April 1, 2008

Gallery 1988 / Los Angeles, CA

Le Premiere
March 1 - May 18

Gallery Provocateur / Chicago IL

The 9th Annual Dirty Show
Detroit MI, Valentines Weekend

Bitters & Sweets
November 6, 2007
Gallery 1988 / Los Angeles, CA,

Valley of the Hairdos

September 15, 2007
The Venice Contemporary / Los Angeles, CA

The Witching Hour
October 5, 2007

Subtext / San Diego, California,

BFF 
August 2007
Rotofugi Gallery / Chicago, IL

Fresh Faces Summer Series
June 16, 2007
The Venice Contemporary / Los Angeles, CA

Picks of the Harvest: Batch 4 
April 13, 2007
Thinkspace Gallery / Los Angeles, CA

Spring Invitational 
March 24, 2007
The Venice Contemporary / Los Angeles, CA

5, 6, 7, 8 & 9 Annual Dirty Show
Valentine's Day Weekend 
Detroit, MI

Lollapalooza 2006, work selected for display 

Teddy Troops Invasion 
June 2, 2006
Rotofugi / Chicago, IL

Echo Gallery, Permanent Collection
October 2002- July 2006
Chicago, IL

Toy 2R Bunny Qee Fiesta:
April 10 - 27, 2006

Hong Kong

Valentine's Day Massacre
February 10, 2006

DVA Gallery / Chicago, IL

Sneaker Pimps, the worlds largest touring sneaker exhibition
August 5, 2006
Chicago, IL

Chop Shop, custom toy show
July 14, 2005
Comicon / San Diego, CA

"Around the Coyote"
Exhibition - 2001, 2002 & 2003
Chicago, IL

"Lolita" theme show 2001

June 8, 2001
Thirteenth Floor Gallery / Chicago, IL

Feitico Gallery 
Jan.6, , 2001
Chicago, IL

2001 Niche Awards
Finalist in art competition
Niche Magazine, Baltimore,MD

Publications:

Mirior Magazine, Animalia issue, December, 2013

Mirior Magazine, Day of the Dead Issue, October, 2013

Catapult Magazine, 10 page interview, Issue #9 - May, 2012

Pop Surealism, Stay Foolish!, Show Catalog

2012 BSC News, Cover and interview, March, 2012

Crazy4Cult: Cult Movie Art, 2011

Hi-Fructose Collected Edition 2 Box Set, 2010

Pop Surrealism: What A Wonderfool World, 2010

Spectrum 15, the best of contemporary art, 2008

The New Mythology Exhibition Book, 2008

Lee's Toy Review Magazine, Coverage of the Gallery 1988 "Toys" exhibit

Hi Fructose Magazine, Volume 7, "Gored" photo

Hi Fructose Magazine, Volume 6, 5 page article

Computer Arts Project Magazine, October 2007

Toy2R Bunny Qee Fiesta Postcard Book, April 2006

Dot Dot Dash: Designer Toys, Action Figures And Character Art, October, 2006

Spectrum 13, the best of contemporary art, October, 2006

Heavy Metal Magazine, March 2006 


Prints and Merchandise:

Modify Watches
4 different designs to choose from.

 

"Swanky Ape"
Painting for Arcade Brewing beer label
Chicago, IL

 

Primus Spring Tour Poster Series
May 23, 2012

Columbus Ohio show 

Thumbtack Press, open run prints

"I think we are just going to have to be secretly in love with each other..."

Limited edition giclee print

"Terry: Patron Saint of 80's Metal"

T-shirt by Ken Keirns & Formula Werkz

 

"Isolation" Limited edition giclee print from Rotofugi Gallery

"Band-Aid" Limited edition giclee print from Gallery1988

"Randy: Her Satanic Majesties Reject"

T-shirt by Ken Keirns & Formula Werkz 

bottom of page