Kristen Albert was born in Pennsylvania, U.S.A. in 1972. She studied design at Drexel University and at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania where she was educated in drawing, composition, color theory, and art history. She worked for many years as a designer and educator.

Since about 2020 she has committed herself full-time to painting. Her main focus lies in combining accurate drawing with painterly expression. Her style contrasts almost hyper-realistic details with less defined surrounding forms in an attempt to replicate the true nature of seeing.  Her technique combines the use of a classic, formal underpainting and a looser, more spontaneous approach to the finished work.

Exhibitions

2024 October Pop-Up Solo-Exhibit, Sport Strefling, Dachau, Germany

2024 September, Art4Nature Gallery, Bad Tölz, Germany, group exhibit

2022 April, Solo-Exhibition, Wasserturm, Dachau, Germany, Show of Strength: Woman. Nature. Machines.

Artist's Statement

My paintings of solitary, realistically depicted subjects are meant to concentrate the viewer’s attention in the work. It appears to me that people don’t really see anymore. They might look, but they don’t see. They look; they look away; they go on trapped in their troubled thoughts.

If I can cause someone to stop for a moment and ponder, wonder or feel, then I think I’ve achieved my goal as a painter. Whether it’s about a specific brush stroke, a color or an idea doesn’t matter; it’s about getting viewers into that mental space.

By using a style that references modern expressionism, I want to closely replicate human vision with the intention of keeping the viewer in the painting longer. To do this, I contrast areas of high detail with others that are more loosely painted.

I paint in a realistic style for two reasons. First, because I love the craftsmanship of it. For me, Craftsmanship is first and foremost – I am more interested in being a good painter, than in being an “artist”. Second, because realism has a certain honesty and integrity that I value as a person.

Because my values affect everything I do, they also affect my painting. It is my belief, that women have a different way of seeing due to their unique experiences which are shaped by societal roles, cultural expectations, and their own personal journeys. This distinct feminine viewpoint is influenced by navigating gender-specific challenges, such as balancing professional and personal responsibilities or confronting gender biases.

I strive to fully express this feminine perspective, and I often choose certain subjects with the intention of raising awareness for women’s issues.

My biggest influences include, Karin Kneffel, Caroline Walker, Xenia Hausner, Isabelle Dutoit and Miriam Vlaming.