Utah-based artist Kent Christensen will showcase his captivating artwork at the Utah Valley University Museum of Art at Lakemount from Dec. 5, 2023, to March 2, 2024, providing art enthusiasts with a unique opportunity to experience his extraordinary talent and explore his diverse artistic genre.

Titled “Absurdly Familiar,” the exhibit includes a select portion of Christensen’s drawings, prints, and oil paintings investigating personal and societal associations with food, places, and pop culture. The artwork also embraces traditions of still life painting, religious iconography, and pop art. His unique ability to infuse his paintings with a sense of life and narrative has earned him a dedicated following of art collectors and enthusiasts.

Christensen also includes or hides personal and spiritual icons in his work, creating symbols that evoke a sense of ritual and intimacy. Cultural and social satire also factor largely into his art.

“I’ve never been satisfied with just painting pretty pictures,” said Christensen. “My background in art history and illustration gave me a hunger for enticing narratives that are often just under the surface in my work. The process of infusing layers of meaning into it is as much about keeping myself engaged as it is about providing me a means of working out some of the absurdities of life.”

Christensen is a celebrated illustrator and fine artist featured in numerous galleries and exhibitions across the country and the world. He has been represented by London’s gallery Eleven since 2006 and has collaborated with London shoe designer Camilla Elphick since 2014. His illustration clients include TIME, BusinessWeek, Sports Illustrated, Rolling Stone, and many others.

“‘Absurdly Familiar’ invites viewers to embark upon a playful journey through nearly four decades of work by acclaimed artist, illustrator, and designer Kent Christensen,” said Courtney Davis, dean of UVU’s School of the Arts. “Christensen’s candy-hued and pop culture-infused paintings of decedent desserts, fast-food feasts, and product-populated skylines are both whimsical and amusingly satirical.”

The upcoming UVU Museum of Art at Lakemount exhibition will showcase a carefully curated selection of Christensen’s most celebrated works. Visitors will have the opportunity to witness the evolution of his artistic style, from his early explorations to his latest masterpieces.

Kent Christensen was born in Los Angeles in 1957. He lives and works in Salt Lake City, Utah, and teaches at UVU and the University of Utah. 

Admission is free, and tickets are not required. For group visits of 10 or more, please call 801-863-4200. For more information about the exhibition, including opening hours, please visit the UVU Museum of Art at Lakemount's official website.