Through my paintings, I ask viewers to embrace the paradoxical nature of existence—to find solace in the comfort of the known while embracing the excitement of the unknown.
For it is in this delicate balance between the two that the true essence of life and death reveals itself—an image created from brushstrokes of both familiarity and mystery, inviting us to explore the infinite depths of the human experience. I invite viewers to embark on a journey of contemplation and introspection, to confront the inevitability of mortality and the eternal quest for meaning.
As we embrace the mystery of life and death, we come to understand the fragile beauty of our shared humanity, and the boundless depths of the human spirit. We are all arriving somewhere, but not here.
“Another promise, another truth. For relief, for release. Can we think of death, then, as not a meaningless dreadful end, but a necessary portal to glorious eternal life? From dust to divine destiny. It’s…inevitable. And with that, I feel perfectly at home.”
-Tom Wachunas speaks about Palencar’s show titled “Both Sides of the Brain” at ARTWACH
COMMISSIONS
Born in 1992, Kit Palencar is a northeast Ohio-based artist who currently serves as the Exhibitions Manager of the Cuyahoga Valley Art Center.
As a practicing artist of over fifteen years, he has exhibited in galleries across the region and has collectors from around the globe. Palencar has taught foundation drawing and life drawing courses at his alma maters University of Akron, where he earned a bachelor’s in fine arts, and Kent State University, where he received a master’s in fine arts.
Kit also teaches visual art aesthetics courses through Ashland University’s Correctional Education program. Palencar currently teaches painting and drawing courses at the Cuyahoga Valley Art Center.
Palencar’s most recent solo exhibitions include “Arriving Somewhere, But Not Here” at the Canton Museum of Art, and “Both Sides of the Brain” at Strauss Studios.