Kevin Wolfrom: Meet the Artist
Meet Kevin Forest Wolfrom, an artist who focuses in oil, acrylic and mural painting. Gump, as many call him, has worked with Lions and Rabbits on After Dark 2020, Barricades, Artprize 2021 and curated work. We are honored to have worked with him and invite you to learn more about him in the following interview.
Q: How did you get involved with Lions and Rabbits?
A: I learned about Lions and Rabbits through working with Edgar Hernandez. While working with Edgar, I met Hannah Berry.
Q: What themes/ideas are highlighted in your work? Intentions?
A: In my work I incorporate a lot of space themes with mainly portraits of humans or animals. Some pieces I do for fun and other pieces I have more intention and a message behind it.
Q: Run us through your creative process - How do you start, flow and finish?
A: I usually start by listening to music or just thinking of a new concept. Depending on what project I wanna do, if it’s something with a message, it usually comes from whatever feelings I’m experiencing at the time. When it’s just for fun, I think of something I like or think is super cool and branch off of that.
“Ancient Divine “ Artprize entry located at 1309 Plainfield Ave NE Grand Rapids, MI 49505
Q: What obstacles/struggles have you encountered throughout your career as an artist? Or challenges you face through your creative process
A: A big obstacle I face is actually my own mind. Working up the confidence to put a piece of me out into the world and to become that vulnerable can be an intimidating feeling. So just building that fire inside you to create some great work that’s authentic to you. Also just being an artist in general is an obstacle on its own. Especially in this type of society where artists are not taken seriously. Like it’s not a legit “job”, so trying to make a living being an artist can be the biggest challenge.
Q: How were you introduced into the world of art? Self taught, schooling, mentor, etc?
A: Self taught, I would always draw as a kid but it really started taking off when I watched the first Spider-Man movie in 2002. There’s a scene where Spider-Man is drawing out suit designs and watching him to amazing drawings of suits, it made me really wanna do the same. So I picked up a pencil and went at it.
Q: Who/what are your biggest inspirations that play a key role in the work you produce?
A: The cosmos play a huge role. Just knowing that there are endless possibilities in space, other worlds, different solar systems, different colored and shaped nebulas, it goes on forever. So that kind of allows me to think of whatever I want because anything is possible.
Q: Is there anything you wish you could change about your work?
A: Just need to train my eye more and practice so I can add more to my paintings to give them more life.
Q: What mistakes have you made? What did you learn from them? What are you trying to get better at?
A: My biggest mistake has been that I allowed my low self confidence to hold me back a little bit. I wasn’t on top of things and I was kind of being lazy because I just didn’t have the confidence in my work. So I feel like I might’ve missed out of some opportunities so now I’m much more confident in myself and my work which has allowed me to get more out there.
Q: Do you feel supported by your community as an artist? In what ways could you feel more supported?
A: You guys do an amazing job at supporting artists but I feel like as far as the city, I would like to see more support come from them.
Q: Describe a moment when you felt most proud of yourself
A: After my latest mural is when I felt the most proud. Anything and everything that could’ve gone wrong, went wrong. I overcame every obstacle though and powered through it and completed the mural. It was my biggest piece to date and I felt very accomplished after finishing it.
Q: What's most important to you about what you create, and how it impacts others?
A: Just being able to express myself fully though my art and using this platform to inspire others to follow their dreams and make it a reality.
DreamChaser 2021 located on the corner of Newberry + Ottawa Ave NE
Q: What's next? What are you currently focusing on or looking forward to?
A: I have a few pieces in the works right now and I’m always working on personal paintings which I’m really excited to get working on.
Q: What does being an artist mean to you? What is the function of artists in society?
A: The function of artists is to inspire. I feel like we are the ones that have escaped the constraints of society and have went our own way. By doing that, we are able to inspire others to go for their dreams and follow their passions and to become their most authentic self.
Q: And of course, if you could chose any vehicle to travel, real or imaginary what would it be?
A: A spaceship!!
Follow more of Kevin’s work on https://artbygump.squarespace.com and instagram.com/gump.w
Thank you for tuning into this week’s Meet the Artist, be sure to checkout more artist stories every week on our blog!
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