Today we’d like to introduce you to David Kem.
Hi David, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve always been creating art (aka drawing and painting) my whole life. I just so happen to parallel path an education and career in engineering while doing so. My creative career and education has largely been self guided and it’s only when I moved to Colorado that I started my formal training in classical drawing and painting under the tutelage of Elena Cantor (an alumni of the Florence Academy of Fine Art), at The Boulder School of Fine art and subsequently the Umbra Academy of Realist Art (This is also the period when I started my creative business).
Regarding my business, Hydrogang Studio is my creative business/space where classical technique and contemporary inquiry meet. Where I’m devoted to using craftsmanship to create work that elevates the human experience. That’s where I’m at today – a career as an electrical engineer, a student at the Umbra Academy of Realist Art and a business owner of Hydrogang Studio.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been smooth, mainly due to the lack of knowledge and experience with creating and maintaining a business. Diving in head 1st into such a challenge tends to bring with it a lot of momentum in the beginning… however, without any real strategy, all the momentum gets derailed or lost entirely.
I’ve tended to be my own barrier when facing the usual struggles of being an artist – authenticity with my own work, technical execution, self doubt, fear, anxiety, etc…
The other glaring struggle is finding a balance and bandwidth for all that life has to offer with a full time job and owning a creative business.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m a visual artist and engineer who’s drawing and painting practice centers around exploring the tension between vulnerability and strength. Working in oils, charcoal and mixed media, I try to create a hybrid language that feels both refined and emotionally charged. I use the name “m-dot” (ṁ), borrowed from an engineering shorthand for “mass flow rate”, in my creative practice to reflect my pursuit of balance between discipline and instinct. I approach drawing and painting as tools for reflection, guided by the belief that technical mastery and emotional depth reinforce each other.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Consistency – Art is work.
Pricing:
- Starting at roughly $300 for a framed 9X12″ charcoal portrait. Prices vary by subject, size, medium and complexity.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.hydrogangstudio.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hydrogangstudio
