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Kala Pohl's love for art began during her childhood in Malaysia. She experimented with watercolor, pastels and pencil sketches and went on to study batik design. In 1984 Kala moved to the San Francisco Bay Area and began a career in technology which lasted 18 years but she never lost her enthusiasm for art. Kala began a full-time art career while living in Kona, Hawaii in 2002. She gained popularity quickly as a Contemporary Folk Artist. She is appreciated for her contemporary and fun style - a unique style that embraces the charm and innocence of folk art. Kala, who is of Asian Indian heritage and whose name "Kala" means "Art" in several Indian dialects, says it is an amazing coincidence that her name reflects her passion in life. She attributes much of her success to her husband of 25 years, Marty, who provides her with the constant feedback and support that is so crucial for an artist. Kala's art is in private collections throughout the United States, Southeast Asia, Australia and Europe. She has had the opportunity to combine her creativity with her belief that art is an integral component to healing in her work with the Arts in Medicine Program at the Moffitt Cancer & Research Center.Artist Statement Vibrant colors and simple shapes have always held a fascination for me and over the years, my art has evolved into a celebration of color and form. My artistic journey focuses on three areas – originality, the infusion of my own personality into my work and the creation of art that makes people smile. When I create art, I do so with a tongue-in-cheek attitude and you see the humor either visually or in the story behind the painting. I am a great fan of the old Masters and Impressionists, but as I experimented with different mediums and styles, I found myself drawn time and again to the bright colors and bold lines of the Expressionists. Expressionism is about the artist’s state of mind as opposed to what you see in the world. When I paint, it is never about painting an actual place, but rather about evoking a feeling. When people look at my art, I want them to feel happiness, hope, peace, joy or humor. All my paintings start out as a poem in my mind and grow into the full story as I paint. I showcase the poetry in small hand painted frames next to the original paintings. There are many elements that make up Expressionism and I have combined most of them in my paintings – bright colors, distorted or exaggerated imagery, primitivism and fantasy. I am also drawn to Folk Art and the stories behind each painting. My art incorporates the charm and story-telling aspect of folk art to my work. The folk art nature is carried through to the painting frames, which are custom and hand-crafted. As a colorist, I work on ensuring that the intense colors create a final outcome that is both soothing and pleasing to the viewer. I only use acrylic paint as I like its fast-drying feature and the vibrancy of its colors. Many artists have influenced me – Kirchner, Rousseau, Matisse, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Dali and many of the Caribbean artists. However, I have created a style that is unique and my own in the Contemporary Folk Art world. I have achieved my goal of creating art that is original, infused with my own upbeat, positive personality and filled with stories that make people smile. As I tell my customers, “I am very serious about my art, but my art is not so serious!” Recent Accomplishments * Mayfaire by the Lake,Lakeland - Award of Merit, 2008 * 31st Annual Mainsail Arts Festival- Award of Excellence, 2006 * 1st Annual New Tampa Art Festival - Award of Merit, 2006 * Moffit Cancer Center & Research Institute - Featured Artist, Cancer Journal, Vol. 13, No.3 July, 2006 * Hawaiian music CD - Cover art for "Reggae in Paradise 2", 2005 |