About Me

I’m Ken Rowe, a multidisciplinary artist, designer and photographer based in New York. I received my Bachelors Degree in Fine Arts with an emphasis on sculpting while also working as an apprentice to the master blacksmith / bladesmith William Fiorini. I later owned and operated a studio in Fort Myers, FL and Miami, FL for 10 years where I created a variety of fine art sculptures, luxury furniture and interior design elements. My work has been published and exhibited internationally in events such as Art Basel - Miami.

Upon moving to New York, NY in 2016 I shifted my focus to digital work and photography as a freelancer. My most recent work includes photographing Muay Thai Fighters and Boxers in the New York area in addition to acting as a Creative Director and UX/UI Designer.

Artist’s Statement

My sculptural work illustrates a personal dilemma: a fascination with technological progress tempered by a deep appreciation for the beauty of nature. The complexity of this dichotomy plays out through the application of modern and typically passive materials to distinctly organic forms. This methodology relies not on the emulation of existing natural or animalistic forms, but rather an architectonic system more prehistoric and alien in nature. Invariably each work displays a fundamentally paradoxical image of static movement; a concept that expresses our continuing struggle as a species to find a balance between technological progress and the preservation of the natural systems upon which our foundation rests.

 

Education

  • University of Wisconsin - La Crosse | Bachelor of Science, Fine Arts

  • Apprentice to William Fiorini | Architectural Blacksmithing, Bladesmithing

Exhibitions & Awards

  • 2014 Art Basel Miami 2014. Jalan Jalan Collection, Miami, FL

  • 2012 Art Basel Miami 2012. Collection Privée Gallery, Miami, FL

  • 2012 Contemporary Modes. Samaniego Art, Naples, FL

  • 2012 Solo Exhibition, Epiphany. Daas Gallery, Fort Myers, FL

  • 2011 City of Fort Myers Arts & Culture Grant

  • 2011 SWFL Lives! 3rd Annual Group Show. Howl Gallery, Fort Myers, FL

  • 2011 25th Annual All-Florida Juried Exhibition. Alliance for the Arts, Fort Myers, FL

  • 2010 Solo Exhibition, Leviathan Rising. Daas Gallery, Fort Myers, FL

  • 2010 SWFL Lives! 2nd Annual Group Show. Howl Gallery, Fort Myers, FL

  • 2010 National Art Encounter. Von Liebig Art Center, Naples, FL

  • 2003 Catherine Crail Art Award

  • 2003 Welcome 2 it. Welcome 2 it, La Crosse, WI

  • 2003 Senior Exhibition. UW-La Crosse, La Crosse, WI

  • 2003 Juried Student Show. UW-La Crosse, La Crosse, WI

  • 2003 7th Annual Hootenhagen Juried Show. Odin Arts Cooperative, La Crosse, WI

  • 2002 Juried Student Show. UW-La Crosse, La Crosse, WI

  • 2001 Juried Student Show. UW-La Crosse, La Crosse, WI

  • 2000 Koka Metals Award

  • 2000 Juried Student Show. UW-La Crosse, La Crosse, WI

Published

  • 2013 Hephaistos. Summer 2013, Volume 5 Number 6.

  • 2012 The Anvils Ring. New Works. Spring 2012, Volume 40 Number 1

  • 2012 Florida Weekly. Artists Among Us, Art’s & Entertainment, February 22-28, 2012.

  • 2012 ArtSWFL.com. Art Walk, February 3, 2012. February 4, 2012

  • 2011 The Anvils Ring. New Works. Summer 2011, Volume 39 Number 4.

  • 2010 News-Press. Hot Iron Makes Cool Pieces. September 11, 2010

  • 2009 Artsy Beat. Artsybeat.com. October 2009

Commissions and Collections

  • 2014 Private Commission, (11' x 8' Sculpture), steel and excavated Balinese root, Jalan Jalan Collections, Miami, FL

  • Felix Komarov, Miami, FL (Eppur Si Muove)

  • Murphy Library Endowment, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse, La Crosse, WI (Flow)