Art for All
By Hailey Stangebye
Photos courtesy of Keian Hochradel
What’s the price for each piece?
200 bucks each, said Keian.
Most of these other pieces are listing for a lot more, said our curator. Are you sure?
But Keian was positive. He priced his two pieces in the Gateway Gallery with a great deal of intention. For Keian, price is less about what the highest bidder can afford, and more about making art available to everyone.
“I’m 23 years old and, no matter how much I like a painting, I can’t afford an $800 painting,” Keian says. “I do a lot of shows with people my age, and I want them to be able to afford it no matter their financial status. Everybody deserves to have art.”
“I do a lot of shows with people my age, and I want them to be able to afford it no matter their financial status. Everybody deserves to have art.”
Keian, a Columbus-based visual artist, contributed two pieces our show at the Gateway Gallery. The first is called “We are the bees, killing us kills you.” It features a bold, colorful, abstract bee in a style reminiscent of Harlem.
To Keian, bees are a lot like artists: under-appreciated, yet fundamental to life as we know it.
“Artists have a special impact, but it’s really kind of ignored. Everything that we see in this world is through the mind of an artist,” says Keian. “Bees and artists are similar because they’re very much needed, but it’s often unknown.”
“Everything that we see in this world is through the mind of an artist. Bees and artists are similar because they’re very much needed, but it’s often unknown.”
His second piece, “Oceanic funk, a wave that doesn’t end,” also relates to the perception of artists in a community. This wave represents artistic momentum, which can only grow with the support of the community as a whole.
“A lot of people don’t realize how much support means to artists. I know a lot of people who have stopped creating just because they didn’t get the support they needed. And, when I say ‘support,’ I don’t even necessarily mean purchasing art,” Keian says. “Yeah, it’s wonderful when you purchase art. But, just coming to shows helps. Or, on social media, if you retweet or like a picture that can make an artists’ day. They’re like, ‘Wow, somebody likes what I put out into the world.’”
“Yeah, it’s wonderful when you purchase art. But, just coming to shows helps. Or, on social media, if you retweet or like a picture that can make an artists’ day. They’re like, ‘Wow, somebody likes what I put out into the world.’”
Keian, with the support of his community, continues to create art that’s accessible to all. His current medium of choice is alcohol ink, but he experiments with a wide variety of materials. To see his work in person, visit the Gateway Gallery at the Gateway Film Center.
