Jakub
Kukla
My name is Jakub, Kuba for short. I was born in Portland, Oregon to immigrant parents from what used to be called Czechoslovakia. Growing up I was blessed to be able to spend my summers in Czech, catching butterflies at my grandparents cottage, instilling a life-long love of nature, culture, and travel.
I have visited more than 30 countries and lived for extended periods in Czech, Mexico, and China. Since February of 2020 when I had to evacuate from China, I have been living and painting in Portland, Oregon. After more than 10 years of globe trotting it was such a blessing to see all four seasons in Portland. Oregon is so beautiful!
My largely nomadic lifestyle greatly influences my art, giving it a lively, vibrant, playful quality. Gallery owners sometimes say that I should pick one style and stick with it, but I never will. To those people who have a keen eye, my essence will shine through all my work, whether it is representational or abstract.
I speak Czech, English, Spanish and some basic Mandarin. I love language and if I could have a super power it would be to speak all languages. Fortunately, through art I can connect with anyone!
The first photo of me with a paintbrush in my hand standing in front on an easel is from Kindergarten, and I haven't stopped since. Some of my most influential art teachers over the years have been people whose names I don't even remember and artists who spoke to me through their art in museums from all over the world.
I want to thank Ms. Capps for being the first teacher to encourage me to become an artist when I was just 11 and all the other amazing teacher's I have had: Christina Erickson, Ben Bridgers, Angela Wilcocks, Marco Schindelmann, Mario Guzman, Daniela Foltynova to name a few as well as workshops by some of my own contemporaries such as Teresa Oaxaca, Yescka, and many others through The FACE and PACE conventions where I volunteer.
I am also blessed to have the best parents in the world who have been incredibly supportive throughout my life and an incredibly widespread and loving adoptive family. From neighbors like Leslie and Mike, to host parents like Tico in Oaxaca and Gabinka in Prague, the list of people to thank in supporting me is endless. Thank you for being part of that support!
My goal is to inspire people to become more aware of the beauty in their current surroundings through his art, and aspires to connect people from different cultures and all walks of life and through a common interest in art.
|| Solo Exhibitions ||
2020 Painting Spring Karma Bunny, Portland, Oregon
2019 Vistas de Oaxaca Chrisman Gallery, Portland, Oregon
2019 Walk in the Park Unicorn Brewing, Portland, Oregon
2019 Meditations on Red, White, and Blue Mia Arroz, San Augustin Etla, Oaxaca, Mexico
2018 A Walk Through Oaxaca Private Gallery, Portland, Oregon
2016 Faces of China Ugly Mug, Portland, Oregon
|| Group Exhibitions ||
2019 Inauguration Casa Murguia, Oaxaca, Mexico
2019 Featured Local Artists Chrisman Gallery, Portland, Oregon
2018 Arbol de Mezquite Galeria Caballero, Oaxaca CIty, Mexico
2017 画画&展览开幕 Urban Cross, Shanghai, China
2017 Big Easter Fest Marco Polo, Changzhou, China
2014 Johnston Art Show University of Redlands, California
|| Installations ||
2017 Flamingos 52 Sky Restaurant, Changzhou, China
|| Education ||
2014 BA, Human Connection: Music, Language, and the Arts. University of Redlands, CA. USA