Conversations with S. Christopher Kuithe

Today we’d like to introduce you to S. Christopher Kuithe

S. Christopher, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My name is S. Christopher Kuithe, SCKCreative on Instagram, I say I’m half from Atlanta and half from Nashville because I moved to East Nashville when I was 15. I went to Glencliff High school where my art journey officially began. I was 16 when I was walking through Rue 21 and heard a Lady GaGa song with a bunch of designer names in it. I heard Alexander McQueen and immediately researched him. Safe to say I was in AWE. My first dream was to work for Lee McQueen because his work spoke so much truth, but as I began teaching myself to draw fashion sketches, I realized I had so much more to say than simple fashion sketches.

I grew up in a lot of chaos, and art was the first place I felt safe and could cope with the reality I was in. I always looked at my canvas as a portal into a new world, unshackled by today’s politics, judgments, and man-made systems that suffocate most of us. A place where I can speak my truth and tackle the issues that resonate with me. I grew up in an alcoholic home and struggled with alcoholism myself, but I’ve learned to be honest with myself and face my demons as they appear. I am currently 4 years clean from alcohol, and am continually healing. As the days pass I continue to learn more about who I am, who I want to be and what I want to say.

After taking a break from my art for 6 years, over the past 8 months I have come back with a vengeance. I spent three years building a management career in the beauty industry, loved my job, but was essentially bullied out of the industry. I was completely heart broken, powerless and lost, but my instinct was to go back to what I know feeds my soul, my art. Now I have been challenging myself in new ways and feel more connected to myself than ever.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has been everything BUT a smooth road, but I’ve realized that the Universe/God has put every challenge on my path for a reason.
Despite all of the family trauma I still am fighting through, what really started my biggest struggle was when I graduated high school and couldn’t go to art school. I spiraled into my drinking and ended up in rehab a year later. I was sent to rehab in Coastal Georgia where my mother now resides. I was sober for 4 years, created a bunch of art, and even had an art show in Brunswick, Georgia. However, I had to move back to Nashville and looked at it as an opportunity to pursue my fashion career. I sketch, draft and sew all of my designs and began working for local Drag talent down on Church Street. The process was very rewarding creatively but shortly after, my alcoholism reappeared and embarrassingly I became a recluse.
Once i got sober again in 2020 I was scouted by a manager on the floor of Ulta and started working in the beauty industry. I loved my job. I loved being able to use my beauty and skincare knowledge to help others. I also loved taking care of my team, developing them to move up in the company and share my sales and skincare knowledge with them. But as I mentioned before I was swept under the rug by HR and lost my job.
I had completely lost faith in humanity at this point. I didn’t know who I could trust, what I had done wrong or what direction I should go. I decided to go to Michael’s and buy some art supplies and just try to create again. After some initial frustration, I kept pushing and challenging myself. Since then my art has been really well received and welcomed by my following.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I usually describe myself as a surrealist/realist artist, but recently I’ve been trying my hand at plein air painting to further challenge myself. I work in both oil and acrylic paints. People say my work looks hyper realistic which I love to hear, but I am currently trying to loosen up my painting process to take my style even further.

Through my art making practice, I aim to take the viewer to a space where the mind can reel and the eye can wander in intrigue and hopeful resolution. My focus lies in creating worlds and images that express ideas of personal and societal importance communicated through symbols that I find captivating, curious and beautiful. In other words: An ever-evolving catalogue of items, imagery, ideas, and representations in an effort to express my truths.”

Much of my work deals with contrast.
When painting, we must have the darkness to punctuate the light; that is also my belief in life, and what I try to convey through my work. For if we hadn’t the darkness, what is the light?

As an artist, and as a person who believes in the beauty and power of alternative perspectives, I feel it is my duty to express inner truth within my work; despite societal stereotypes, unchosen truths, and religious dogma. On the canvas the viewer bares witness to the emotional turmoil and the revelations found through the course of my creative processes. The space that exists between who we want to be, who we are and how we wish others to view us. This internalized conflict is one that often defines our insecurities, fears, prejudices, religion, friends, lovers and much more. I want to challenge that unspoken space. I want that space to be comfortable, beautiful and most of all, Honest.

What makes me the most proud is seeing others resonate with my work, I can be a recluse at times but love sharing my work and ideas with others and am always so fulfilled when connecting with others around art and life.

Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
Some of my favorite memories are of Summer’s spent with my grandmother (we called her Hon) in Coastal Georgia. She lived along the International Waterway near Darien, Georgia in our ancestral home. Draped with live oaks and Spanish moss, she would pay me a quarter for every wheel-barrel I filled with sticks, fallen moss and leaves. Easiest way to clean up looking back! She and I were always tied to the hip, and since we were both Leo’s with birthdays’ two days apart, we always had a bond. I got to spend two years living with her on our ancestral property from 2016 to 2018. She was in her early nineties, memory going and words lost, but I always knew what she was saying even if the words weren’t there. The love and care that poured from her was so earnest and pure. I miss her almost everyday. I really connected to her, my mother and our families property during that time. I rediscovered my deep spiritual connection to nature and uncovered a deeper understanding of my souls spiritual needs. hope I can share light and love like she did. I know she is with me everyday. Love and miss you everyday Hon!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sckcreative.design
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/sckcreative
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/sckuithe
• Other: https://tiktok.com/sckuithe