ARTIST · ARKANSAS · SOMEWHERE IN THE FUTURE
IT'S JUST TOO MUCH EFFORT TO ACT LIKE I DON'T CARE WHEN I REALLY DO.
Kirby Clark
(b. 1993, Oklahoma)
They/Them/Theirs
Kirby Clark is a figurative artist based in Arkansas whose work explores the space between photography and drawn representation. Working primarily with marker and ink, Clark transforms photographic references into vibrant, highly controlled compositions that examine observation, emotion, and the overlooked moments of everyday life.
Clark’s practice began with an interest in photography and figurative painting, drawing inspiration from Pop Art, portraiture, and the visual language of the photographic image. Over time, their process has evolved away from the expressive gesture of brushwork and toward the precision of marker and ink.
Rather than simply reproducing a photograph, Clark is interested in what happens when a captured moment is translated by hand. The camera freezes an instant; the artist decides what remains. Through deliberate color, controlled mark-making, and selective detail, familiar images become something slightly removed from reality—recognizable, but reinterpreted.
At the heart of Clark’s work is a fascination with fleeting expressions, ordinary encounters, unexpected beauty, and the suspended moments that exist between one thing and the next. Their practice invites viewers to slow down and reconsider images that might otherwise pass unnoticed.
About The Work
My work seeks to capture the fleeting moments that whisper beauty in the chaos of everyday life. In a world brimming with unnoticed art, I focus on the immediacy of these moments, helping them linger with a vibrant, purposeful palette. It's about the spaces between- those suspended moments of tension and anticipation that pulse just beneath the surface.
Influenced by
the energy of figurative art,
the bold statements of pop,
the intimacy of portraiture,
the freeze-frame magic of photography,
and the rhythmic repetition of seriality,
I embrace the unexpected intersections of time, color, and emotion.
My work is about seeing what's always been there, waiting to be noticed.
Artist's Curriculum Vitae
EDUCATION
Self-Taught Artist
Independent studio practice in figurative art, painting, drawing, and mixed media
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2023
Out in the Open!
First Christian Church, Bentonville, Arkansas
June 2023
2022
Our Art, Our Region, Our Time — Juried Exhibition
Joy Pratt Markham Gallery, Walton Arts Center, Fayetteville, Arkansas
October 6–November 14, 2022
Kirby Clark Artwork: Paintings Based on the Life & Times of the Artist
Six Twelve Coffeehouse & Bar, Fayetteville, Arkansas
June 7–July 3, 2022
SELECTED COMMISSIONS & PROJECTS
2022
Graphic Mural Project
Embassy Suites, Northwest Arkansas
Commissioned mural work for hotel basement and banquet/break-room spaces, including Centurion, Core Values, and Spirit Triangle projects.
“Generations”
Commissioned figurative work on paper.
SELECTED DISPLAY & PRESENTATION
2022
Artwork displayed at White Lotus, Fayetteville, Arkansas
ARTISTIC PRACTICE
Primary Media
Marker · Ink · Acrylic · Mixed Media
Areas of Practice
Figurative Art · Portraiture · Painting · Drawing · Seriality · Photography-Based Representation · Public & Commissioned Art
Current Interests
Pop Art · Color · Photography · Contemporary Portraiture · Serial Imagery · Everyday Encounters · Fleeting Moments · Silkscreen
ARTISTIC INFLUENCES
Andy Warhol · Mary Blair · Pop Art · Figurative · Art Portraiture · Photography
SELECTED SERIES & WORKS
Trump Series · Drop Cloth Series · Licks Series · Marlboro Series · Car Disaster 1 · Strip Tease
ONLINE PORTFOLIO
Kirby Clark Artwork kirbyclarkmmt.wixsite.com/kcartwork
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