Kristen Arden

My work is nature inspired and a confluence of my love of nature, landscape, color, and the process of building. I primarily use metal, but also incorporate other materials, such as wood, moss, and bronze.

I grew up spending summers in the northern wilderness of Minnesota. Though I spent the first 20 years of my adult life in highly urban areas, returning to the woods has always been a place of recalibration for me. My work has, over the years, explored that connection.

I work in series of nature-based themes, such as my Earthworks, Tectonics, and Botanic Series. Initially my work was an abstracted, macro view, such as aerial shots of large earth-scapes and tectonic plate formations. More recently I’ve been exploring a micro view of nature, somewhat inspired by Carl Linnaeus’ explorations and cataloging of the natural world, such as in my Botanic Series. In my Archive Series I’m exploring moss and pollinators as subjects.

I do both commercial and residential commissions. It’s often the case that a client will be drawn to a particular work or series, but the pieces I have available do not fit their space. I find the commission process energizing. I enjoy the conversations with clients working through what their interests and needs are, and then interpreting that through my own vision. My commission work has run the gamut from small wall hangings to large lobby and public sculptures.

My website is currently under construction. It should be updated and live in June.