Kris Ruhs


Kris Ruhs is an American painter and sculptor. He also works on drawing, graphic arts, jewelry, ceramics and furniture designs.

Early life

Kris Andrew Ruhs was born in Queens, New York, on March 7, 1952 from a family of German extraction.
He grew up in New York City and from 1970 to 1973 attended The School of Visual Arts with Richard Artschwager.

Career

In the 1970s worked on commercial assignments for various New York publications and emporiums. Had a group show with Art Consultant Elisabeth Ives Bartholet and a first solo show at Caravan House. During this time Ruhs began the exploration of found materials that would remain one of the hallmarks of his work going forward. Moved studio from 168 East 66th Street to 45 West 18th Street.
In the 1980s: solo show at Richard Greene Gallery and began showing with Gary Lajeski and the Tower Gallery: New York and South Hampton. Several solo and group shows through the decade. He began his first series of sculptures inspired by the wood discarded in the streets next to his studio on lower Broadway. Discards of various shapes and sizes become favored materials for him. Old wood is cut, scraped, carved, painted over and burned to give a new surface and shape that carries a deep, metaphorical weight. These initial works of the 1980s will go on to create the template of future work and the artist's relationship to other materials. Collaborates with Cynthia Lennon on Atlanta mural. Develops ARTWEAR branding with friend Robert Lee Morris and starts making jewellery himself.
In the early 1990s Ruhs moved his studio from Chelsea to Lower Broadway and began his transition to Europe.
In the mid 1990s Ruhs closed his studio in New York and moved to a new studio in the heart of industrial Milan in two huge warehouse buildings with an interior courtyard. The new location giving him space to work on the big sculptural pieces and installation. At this time he begins his experiments with ceramics and startes a cycle of large metal sculptures.
He makes editorial illustrations for Italian Vogue., works on different design assignments in Berlin, Seoul and Tokyo.
as well as on big sculptural pieces and installation.
He designs furniture art pieces, first produced in 1991 by Giulio Cappellini for Cappellini Arte and creates architectural installations
and furniture design.
He creates jewelry art pieces in ebony, brass, silver and gold for collectors and designers with the same dimensional aspects as his other artworks.
In the late 1990s Ruhs starts a studio in Paris in the 18th district, an industrial metal-framed building of the Eiffel period.
As he continued to pursue his personal art, his reputation as a designer leads to several assignments around the world

Publications