about the artist....

Krys Dudek is a visual artist who blends her life-long love of art with her formal training in science (she holds a Master of Applied Science from the University of Toronto) to create works which reflect her fascination with the beauty, the intricacy, and the wonder of nature. She firmly believes that beauty can be found within all aspects of nature, whether it be in the wing of a pesky fly or in the life-carrying network of veins in a leaf. Her hope is that the viewers of her art will be inspired to take a closer look at features of their environment and thus develop a better appreciation of the world around them.

Krys’ favourite artistic media are acrylic paints and electronic components. She uses the latter both as aesthetically pleasing as well as functional components of her work. In her botanically inspired paintings, Krys chooses to portray close-up views of her subjects. This gives her an opportunity to call attention to a particularly intriguing aspect of the leaves or blossoms being depicted. Her insect sculptures, made from electronic components and miscellaneous materials, are accented with the pure colour emitted by LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes). In some cases, the behaviour of this illumination is dependent on environmental sensors. In others, it is controlled by an embedded microprocessor running software written by the artist. In these creations, the art is not only in the structure of the work, but also in the performance. The functional circuitry is an inherent part of the sculpture and, to the artist, is a representation of the neural physiology of the insect.

Krys’ first public showing of her sculpture was for the show entitled "Red Hot Art" at the main gallery of Silicon Valley’s Pacific Art League of Palo Alto (PALPA) in February of 2001. It brought her an Honourable Mention. In the words of the judge, Benny Alba, the work was "Witty, well-constructed and memorable". Subsequently she has had her sculptures in two other exhibits at that venue.

Krys is currently working on a body of work which integrates organic form with acrylic and electronic media. She is also collaborating in the production of a book celebrating the art of primitive artist Stella Sagatis.