yawA:
Stefan Kietzman, thank you so much for speaking with us today. Can you start by telling us a little bit about your journey and what inspired you to become an artist?
Stefan:
"My art journey started at an early age. From the first day I could hold a crayon I was inspired to draw characters in cartoon comic books and video games.
My formal art education started at the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts where I learned to develop technical skills. At the same time I got into graffiti, illustration and digital programs like Adobe Photoshop.
Then in college, I went to the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. This was a very classic arts education where we worked from live models almost every day. Taking from all these influences has developed my art into what you see today, a mix of color, design, line, pop art and fine art."
yawA:
What professional accomplishment are you most proud of and why?
Stefan:
"Being an artist is not easy, I think it’s a huge deal to try and make art the main source of income and sustain yourself only on creating work. I worked in tech for 10 years and was recently laid off, this led me to reconsider my career and what I wanted to do in life. I decided to become a full-time artist and dedicate myself to this craft. Recently I’ve had a few shows with some work but I just became a member of TAG gallery in LA and I’ll have a solo show this March at TAG Gallery. This is the biggest step I’ve taken in my career and I’m working hard to make this show great."
yawA:
Who or what inspires you and why?
Stefan:
"Inspiration for my work comes from many different things. I listen to podcasts, go out in nature, read blogs, news, and anything that interests me with observations about the world.
But the thing that really inspires me is seeing other artists do their work. And it’s not just other visual artists, I love seeing any creativity on display, music, dance, poetry, movies.
There’s a lot that inspires me and it varies day to day."