Artist Bio
Kimberlyn Renee is a St Louis based self-taught surrealist pop artist. She is known for her use of bright fluorescent colors and nostalgic themes to create whimsical paintings that occasionally border on the absurd.
After graduating from the University of Missouri with a degree in Business she shifted her focus to art, ultimately pursuing a full-time career as an artist in 2023. She has since been featured in galleries in both Illinois and Missouri and has won several awards.
Through her art she aims to evoke a playful sense of fantasy and often incorporates 3D elements and UV reactive and phosphorescent mediums to add versatility and dimension to her paintings. Her goal is to speak to one’s inner child through her work and reawaken the sense of magic and wonder in the viewer.
Artist Statement
My work is a vibrant fusion of pop art and surrealism, where the familiar meets the fantastical. I primarily work in acrylic paint, often incorporating blacklight-reactive and glow-in-the-dark mediums to create a dynamic, immersive experience. I often pair bright colors with contrasting black backgrounds in my paintings to invite viewers into a dreamlike world where nostalgia and whimsy collide.
My art explores themes rooted in pop culture and childhood nostalgia, with much of my inspiration stemming from my own experience with the cultural aesthetics of American youth and the icons that shaped it. This includes paintings of popular musicians, whose music and personas have become emblematic of different moments in time and whose influence often spans generations. For my musician portraits I use vinyl records as my canvas and vivid color palettes to evoke the magic of these cultural touchstones, transporting viewers back to a specific time or place from their own lives.
Whether through the lens of music, movies, memes, or other symbols of shared experience, my art reflects a playful interaction with pop culture. At the heart of my work is a desire to create a sense of wonder and connection, allowing people to experience familiar moments with a fresh, whimsical twist.
