who?
Justin Kane Elder is a multidisciplinary artist born in 1978 and raised in the rural countryside of Washington state. Most of his youth was consumed by Skating, Snowboarding, and Surfing at extreme levels. At the beginning of a promising professional snowboarding career– a freak accident changed the course of his life. Nearly paralyzed with a broken back, he chose to return to his true love. Art. Later graduating with a BFA from Cornish College of the Arts in 2001. After this, he became a Master carpenter until 2008, when the housing crash left him unemployed. Deciding then set aside his passion for woodworking and pursue a career as a professional artist.
Eventually, using his artistic knowledge and construction background to work with clientele ranging from private households to small, locally owned businesses to major corporations. His prolific body of work has been shown across the United States and Canada at various galleries, museums, art fairs, festivals, and events. He has completed hundreds of commissions and designed restaurants, public artworks, traveling art shows, event spaces, murals, snowboards, skateboards, surfboards, and various other products. His work has been featured on local and national television, advertising campaigns, numerous magazines, newspapers, sporting goods, apparel, and more.
Painting, sculpture, music, video, writing, design, and philosophy are facets of his craft– all ingredients in a complex, adaptive process that seeks novelty in many forms.
Residing in the US with his family, he continues to follow the trail of creative exploration. Currently, he is developing a new body of oil paintings, a series of murals, a trilogy of books, a YouTube channel, and what the future will one day tell.
​
why?
Ok, here's the microphone. What do you wanna say? You get a stick with some hair strapped to the end of it and some colored mud. Put it on anything: fabric, paper, wood– make it interesting, or we're moving on—a space filled with a thousand words but only room for one.
It's complex to explain one's work, especially when you only have 30 seconds before these elevator doors open. To be of service; to give back what has been given, to pass the torch. that's why. It's breathing, a root function, a baseline that I wither without. I'm not even sure what it is—at best, it's me—a work in progress. I suppose that's all of us—the whole beautiful, wretched mess. Here's my report.
This work is sorrow, joy, emptiness, gratitude, humor, death, survival– anything goes. It reunites the past with the present while holding hands with the future. It is cheap and timeless, comfortable and painful—the memory of a family reunion diner, me killing the magician, pulling the curtain back, the world seen through my eyes. Mine is a genuine voice speaking to you. Listen or don't. Let it help you understand. I don't make this work. We do: Family, friends, the world. I'm just leaving a message.
A complex amalgamation of everything. A novelty seeker's diary. A portrait, a landscape, a still life, a sculpture, a verse, or D. all of the above. Take what you will, I have.
-Full resolution beats 8-bit and blindfolded.
curriculum vitae
2002, BFA with an emphasis on painting and sculpture | Cornish College of the Arts
Solo exhibitions:
2023, Lightscapes | Stone Way Auto, Seattle, Washington, US
2023-2010, Portraits | Revel, Seattle, Washington, US
2019, 9Teen | 9th & Thomas, Seattle, Washington, US
2016, 6Teen | White Walls Gallery, San Francisco, California, US
2015, nineteen85 | Axis Gallery, Seattle, Washington, US
2014, Mixed | Gauntlet Gallery, San Francisco, California, US
2014, Nature | Axis Gallery, Seattle, Washington, US
2013, Mixed | Skillet, Ballard, Seattle, Washington, US
2012, Portraits | Cafe Medina, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
2011, Portraits | Othercoast cafe, Seattle, Washington, US
2011, Manimal | Evo, Seattle, Washington, US
2011, Portraits | Johnston Architects, Seattle, Washington, US
2011, Portraits | Cafe Fiore, Seattle, Washington, US
2011, Animals | Hi-life, Seattle, Washington, US
2011, People | Skillet, Capital Hill, Seattle, Washington, US
2011, Portraits | Cafe Medina, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
2010, Manimal | Gainsbourg lounge, Seattle, Washington, US
2010, Manimal | Bherd Gallery, Seattle, Washington, US
2009, Humans | Cupcake Royale, Madrona, Seattle, Washington, US
2009, Humans | Cupcake Royale, Capital Hill, Seattle, Washington, US
2009, Humans | Cupcake Royale, Ballard, Seattle, Washington, US
2009, Humans | Cupcake Royale, West Seattle, Seattle, Washington, US
2009, Icons | Deli Clothing Boutique, Downtown, Seattle, Washington, US
Group exhibitions:
2023, Lab Test 002 | 9th & Thomas, Seattle, Washington, US
2023, One Foot Forward | Martin & MacArthur, Wailea, HI, US
2018, Summer Dreams | Winston Wachter, Seattle, Washington, US
2017, Trump show | Bonfire Gallery, Seattle, Washington, US
2017, Stack | The Vatican, Studio E Gallery, Seattle, Washington, US
2017, Future Machine | The Bellevue Art Museum, Bellevue, Washington, US
2017, Wolf Temple | Out of Site art fair, Seattle, Washington, US
2016, Star Wars Show | White Walls Gallery, San Francisco, California, US
2015, Portraits | LA Art show, Gauntlet Gallery, Los Angeles, California, US
2015, Family Portrait | Heiner Residence, Port Ludlow, Washington, US
2014, Humans | Gauntlet Gallery, San Francisco, California, US
2014, Portraits | Scope art fair, Gauntlet Gallery, Miami, Florida, US
2014, B.O.D 4 | Piranha Shop, Seattle, Washington, US
2014, B.O.D 4 | Nemo Design, Portland, Oregon, US
2014, B.O.D 4 | Gauntlet Gallery, San Francisco, California, US
2014, B.O.D 4 | AR4T Gallery, Laguna Beach, California, US
2013, B.O.D 3 | Nemo Design, Portland, Oregon, US
2013, B.O.D 3 | Piranha Shop, Seattle, Washington, US
2013, B.O.D 3 | The Holding Company, Los Angeles, California US
2012, Tanks and Helmets | Neumos, Seattle, Washington, US
2012, America | AR4T Gallery, Laguna Beach, California, US
2011, Portraits | Bherd Gallery, Seattle, Washington, US
2011, Good Omens | 619 Building, Seattle, Washington, US
2010, Piranha show | Piranha Shop, Seattle, Washington, US
2010, American Nature | Piranha Shop, Seattle, Washington, US
2009, Icons | Deli Clothing Boutique, Pioneer Square, Seattle, Washington, US
Commissions:
2023, Lightscapes | Stone Way Auto, Seattle, Washington, US
2023, Stone-cage | Stone Way Auto, Seattle, Washington, US
2023, Flowers Connect Mural | Stone Way Auto, Seattle, Washington, US
2020, Together We Stand Mural | Cedar Speedster, Seattle, Washington, US
2018, Art Series | Zillow Headquarters, Seattle, Washington, US
2018, Dress Up | The Oculus, World Trade Center, New York, New York, US
2018, Interior installations | T-mobile Headquarters, Bellevue, Washington, US
2018, Installation series | East Trading Company, Seattle, Washington, US
2018, Temple | The Dynasty Room, Seattle, Washington, US
2018, Wolf Temple Mural | Winston Wachter Gallery, Seattle, Washington, US
2018, Hard Drive | Dell Computers, Round Rock, Texas, US
2017, Boxes | Amazon, Troy Block, Seattle, Washington, US
2017, Treehouse | IDS festival, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
2017, Steph Curry | Under armor, Baltimore, Maryland, US
2017, Fountains | Yonge Dundas Square, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
2017, Rocketman | Oasis, Seattle, Washington, US
2016, Waterfall | Vancouver Aquarium, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
2016, Barrels | Alki Beach, Seattle, Washington, US
2016, Basquiat | Creative Live Headquarters, San Francisco, California,US
2016, Vortex | IDS festival, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
2016, Soundwave | Facebook Headquarters, Seattle, Washington, US
2016, Target | Amazon, Troy Block, Seattle, Washington, US
2016, Viral Video | Seattle Seahawks, Seattle, Washington, US
2015, Container | Sellen Construction, Seattle, Washington, US
2015, Series | Queen West Animal Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
2015, Yurt | REI flagship store, Seattle, Washington,US
2015, Voyage | Carlile Room, Seattle, Washington, US
2014, Turbodream Snowboard | K2 Snowboards, Seattle, Washington, US
2014, Craig Kelly mural | Burton Cabin, Baldface Lodge, Nelson, British Columbia, Canada
2014, Installation series | Trove, Seattle, Washington, US
2014, Bakery | Evo Headquarters, Portland, Oregon, US
2014, Series | Via 6, Seattle, Washington, US
2013, Boat | Westward, Seattle, Washington, US
2013, Trailer | Skillet, Ballard, Seattle, Washington, US
2013, Elevators | Greenfire Campus, Seattle, Washington, US
2013, Sign | Russell's Tavern, Seattle, Washington, US
2013, Murals | Evo Properties, Seattle, Washington, US
2013, Turbodream Snowboard | K2 Snowboards, Seattle, Washington, US
2012, Timeline | Evo Headquarters, Seattle, Washington, US
2012, Josh | Eltana, Fremont, Seattle, Washington, US
2012, Jewelry sign | Joule, Seattle, Washington, US
2010, Crossword | Eltana, Capital Hill, Seattle, Washington, US
Collections:
2024, Meadow | 9th & Thomas, Seattle, Washington, US
2024, Animals | Revel, Seattle, Washington, US
2023, Lightscapes | Stone Way Auto, Seattle, Washington, US
2017, Future Machine | The Bellevue Art Museum, Bellevue, Washington, US
2015, Bear | The Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle, Washington, US
2015, Ram | Earls Restaurant Group, Denver, Colorado, US
2014, Tiger | The Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle, Washington, US
2007, Portrait of a House | The Richard and Elizebeth Hedreen collection, Seattle, Washington
Bibliography:
2024, Creative Director | Stone Way Auto, Seattle, Washington, US
2018, Guest Speaker | Spotify Creative Workshop, Santa Barbra, California, US
2017, Future Machine discussions I | The Bellevue Art Museum, Bellevue, Washington, US
2017, Future Machine discussions II | The Bellevue Art Museum, Bellevue, Washington, US
2017, Future Machine discussions III | The Bellevue Art Museum, Bellevue, Washington, US
2017, Future Machine discussions IV | The Bellevue Art Museum, Bellevue, Washington, US
2017, Future Machine discussions V | The Bellevue Art Museum, Bellevue, Washington, US
2017, Creative Mornings | Georgetown, Seattle, Washington, US
2017, S.E.D.G Lecture | Seattle Convention Center, Seattle, Washington, US
2017, Discussion panel | IDS festival, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
2016, Design Rebels | Gray Magazine #29, Seattle, Washington, US
2016, Discussion panel | IDS festival, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
2016, Basquiat video | Creative Live Headquarters, San Francisco, California,US
2015, Beautiful Explosion | City Arts Magazine, Seattle, Washington, US
2014, Good Life | Gray Magazine #40, Seattle, Washington, US
2014, Art Zone | Art Zone, episode 6/6/14, Seattle, Washington, US
2014, Hot New Next | Gray Magazine #19, Seattle, Washington, US
2011, Live Painting | Evo 10year Anniversary party, Seattle, Washington, US
2008, Family Portrait | Extreme Makeover Home Edition, Kingston, Washington, US
2002, BFA Show | Cornish College of the Arts, Seattle, Washington, US