Kenneth J. Kraus developed his love of the creative process through a family deeply connected to art and making. His grandmother was a sculptor, his mother a painter, and his grandfather a builder—an influence that shaped his early appreciation for form, material, and expression. Although he initially pursued architecture, Kraus ultimately found his voice through painting, sculpture, and clay.

Kraus studied at Pratt Institute in New York City, where he earned a Bachelor of Architecture. In the years since, he has continued to deepen his practice through domestic and international workshops, expanding his exploration of color, composition, form, and texture.

Over the course of his artistic journey, Kraus has exhibited work in galleries in New York, Scottsdale, Rome, and Athens. His paintings and sculptures are held in both private and commercial collections, reflecting the broad appeal and accessibility of his work.

Kraus’ abstract landscapes are marked by vivid color, structural strength, and a sense of optimism. His paintings evoke sunlit cities, coastlines, and open spaces through layered fields of royal blues, radiant oranges, and bold gestural strokes. At times, tightly rendered fragments of imagery emerge within the composition, creating a dynamic tension between energetic movement and architectural precision.

His sculptural work reflects the same sensitivity to form and surface. Through tactile, expressive pieces, Kraus explores the relationship between light, shadow, texture, and material presence.

For Kraus, the pursuit of aesthetic beauty is both discipline and discovery. He is deeply engaged in the physical act of making—whether applying paint, shaping clay, or building form by hand. His work is driven by a desire to discover the new: to reinterpret the world through unexpected color, structure, and texture, and to offer viewers a fresh perspective shaped by emotion, materiality, and imagination.

2011 — TK Gallery, Hudson, NY — One-person show
2009 — Terrain Gallery, SoHo, NY
2009 — Trans-Position Along the Queensboro — Invited artist
2007 — Art Gotham Gallery, Chelsea, NY
2007 — Gallery Kourd, Athens, Greece
2006 — Westport Art Center, Westport, CT
2006 — Art Students League, New York, NY
2005 — DeGrillis, Rome, Italy — Solo show
2005 — Pratt Institute, Rome, Italy — Group show
2004 — Silvermine Guild of Artists, New Canaan, CT
2004 — Art/Place Gallery, Southport, CT
2004 — Science Park, Yale University, New Haven, CT
2004 — Westport Art Center, Westport, CT
2003 — New Rochelle Public Library, New Rochelle, NY
2003 — Westport Art Center, Westport, CT
2003 — Silvermine Guild of Artists, New Canaan, CT
2002 — Art Students League, New York, NY
2001 — Art/Place Gallery, Southport, CT
1992 — Creative Arts Workshop, New Haven, CT

Europe and The United States

2009 — Fine Arts Work Center, Provincetown, MA
2008 — Fine Arts Work Center, Provincetown, MA
2007 — Fine Arts Work Center, Provincetown, MA
2006 — Art Students League, New York, NY — Mixed media
2005 — Great River Arts Workshop, Doug Trump, Walpole, NH — Painting
2005 — International School of Painting, Drawing & Sculpture, Umbria, Italy
2005 — Rome University of Fine Arts, Rome, Italy — Sculpture
2004–1998 — Silvermine Guild of Artists, New Canaan, CT — Sculpture and Painting
2004 — Fine Arts Work Center, Provincetown, MA — Painting
2003–2001 — Art Students League, New York, NY — Painting
2003 — Great River Arts Institute, Walpole, NY — Painting
1997–1998 — Creative Arts Workshop, New Haven, CT — Sculpture
1966 — Pratt Institute, New York, NY — Bachelor of Architecture