If you’ve ever wandered through one of our Living Studios galleries, chances are you’ve stopped to admire the vibrant, retro-inspired artwork of Kris Askew. Kris has a style that’s all his own: a colorful blend of portraiture, pop culture, and history that brings the spirit of the 1960s and 1970s back to life.
“I like to draw things that were here before me and also when I was growing up,” Kris says. “What I like is that I am here now, but I can remember.”
That sense of memory runs deep in his work. Many of Kris’s portraits feature musicians, actors, and cultural figures from the ’60s and ’70s; people like Sly Stone, Paul Kantner, and Marty Balin of Jefferson Airplane. His art is full of patterned shirts, fringe jackets, and bell bottoms, lovingly drawn with fine detail and humor. Each piece feels like a time capsule, celebrating not just the icons themselves but the feeling of the era they represent.
Kris’s work has been shown in several exhibitions, including Rock N Roll Art Works Hall of Fame at Happy Trails Records in Corvallis and Storming the Academy at Oregon State University. His pieces are bright, bold, and full of personality, much like the artist himself.
At Cornerstone Associates, Kris continues to grow his artistic practice, exploring how history, fashion, and memory intersect in art. Whether he’s sketching a famous face or recreating a vintage look from memory, his work reminds us that creativity can keep the past alive in new and meaningful ways.
Next time you visit a Living Studios show, keep an eye out for Kris’s work! You’ll know it when you see it. His art doesn’t just look back; it invites you to remember, smile, and feel the rhythm of another time.