We’re looking forward to introducing you to S. Christopher Kuithe. Check out our conversation below.
S. Christopher, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What do you think is misunderstood about your business?
I think a lot of people visualize my art career as easy-going, that the painting ideas come to me with ease, that the painting process is calm, relaxing, and always rewarding. I can tell you nothing could be farther from the truth. I don’t truly like my paintings until they are about 80% complete. It’s the resonance of what I see in my head versus what is happening on the canvas. I spend a lot of time stepping back, taking a walk, and coming back to the easel with new eyes. Faith in the end result is what keeps me going, the need to get this image out of my head and on the canvas.
As a self-taught artist, I can say I am learning as I go. Unfortunately, there isn’t a blueprint for creating a successful art career in America. Not only must you have the skill, but also know content creation, marketing, networking, web design, stay on top of show applications, interview opportunities, art fairs, etc. I am also an artist who has a full-time job that isn’t my artwork. Balancing life while getting my artist perspective out there is challenging, but I am determined to share my truth. I hope my artwork can touch others’ hearts in a beautiful, honest, and trustworthy way.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Most definitely! My name is S. Christopher Kuithe (pronounced key-thee), a self-taught surrealist and plein air artist based in Nashville, TN. My creative practice lives at the intersection of dream and earth – where the quiet pulse of real places meets the uncanny whisper of the imagination. I work mainly in oil, acrylic, graphite, and oil pastels. My work ranges from surrealist landscapes to plein air, florals to architectural concrete structures.
I create realistic, surreal worlds -visual realms where symbolic imagery becomes a bridge between inner experience and shared human stories. Whether it is an eerily still landscape that invites contemplation, a portrait that unravels emotional depth, or a plein air scene that honors the tangible world, every piece is an invitation to linger, to wonder, and to feel – a place beyond literal explanation, where art becomes a kind of visual meditation. In essence, my art is a living conversation between inner symbolism and outer form.
In a world that loves abstract works, I believe my art stands in stark contrast to what the typical buyer will see in the art community. Raw, unfiltered, unbiased truths delivered through a surrealist contemplative perspective. In my works, every item has meaning. From the concrete structures, light placement, the position of birds or a flower, every decision has an intention.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
I believed I needed permission. Permission to be myself, permission to follow my gut and lead with my creativity. Permission to speak up, stand out, or stand up for what is right. I no longer believe that one bit.
I feel like most of us were taught that we are useless unless we learn a trade from a school, institution, or a person. That our value is measured in money. I always felt like everyone else had some secret book or code of how to figure things out in life, that there must have been a class I missed on how to succeed or move forward with confidence.
Now, looking back, I wish I knew that I always had the power, attention, and willpower to achieve whatever I want in this life. We all have that power if we are willing to work hard for whatever our goal is. I wish I had known earlier that approval from others has never had anything to do with me, that people who don’t want to grow will project their fears and jealousy onto you to keep you small. Some of those people may even be in your close circle. Also my value is not directly tied to my bank account, but to how I make people feel, the people I help, and the way I love.
There is one person you will be in a relationship with forever, and that is yourself. Make sure that the relationship is healthy, strong, and independent. The one person you can trust is yourself, your gut, and what you want out of this life. If no one has told you before, you truly can do whatever you put your mind to. Always listen to your gut and be honest with yourself!
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Many a times. I think for a lot of my life, I didn’t see value in myself or what I have to offer the world. I was always willing to drop whatever I was working on if family or friends “needed” me. What I realize now is that the amount of time I prioritized everyone else’s lives, I was taking away from my own. I now know that I must come first before I can help others. You cannot pour from an empty cup, and those who ask you to do not have your best interest at heart. Once I focused on my inner strength, inner validation, and confidence, I realized how insignificant other people’s thoughts and opinions were about my life. I am now very selective of who I allow in my circle.
When I was in my early twenties, I worked really hard to build an art career for myself, but I was easily discouraged by a lack of social media performance and lack of sales. I depended too much on exterior validation. I took almost 7 years off from anything creative because of it. I knew if I didn’t take a break, I would’ve resented my art, and I wanted to come back to it eventually. During those 7 years, I worked in the beauty industry (yes, I am a skincare lover), drove for Uber, and even did door-to-door sales for an internet and television company. I tried to build a life I thought I wanted, but once I saw the ugliness of corporate America, I went to Michaels, bought some paint, and started creating again. I now know that my creative gifts aren’t to be taken lightly, that painting is as much for me as it is for the viewer. Creation is in my blood, and I aim to continue to honor it. No matter a lack of views or likes. Life is so much bigger than social media!
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
I believe Nature is our answer to a lot of today’s issues. We are made of the Earth, and we return to the Earth once our soul moves on to the next phase. We are made of the same atoms as the trees, the birds, even the air. We are literally made of the same material that this physical world is created with. So much of the manmade world is built in complete opposition of nurturing that truth.
What people seem to forget is that we are all in a symbiotic relationship with plants and trees. We exhale carbon dioxide, which the trees absorb; in exchange, they produce heaps of oxygen for all of us living animals. Nature is the most intelligent technology that runs without our influence. It has existed long before us and will continue to thrive long after we are gone.
We aren’t killing the planet, we are killing ourselves because the Earth will always heal itself. The current social design is to stay blinded by money, keep your head down, and continue to consume; Consume content, food, useless items, clothes, etc. We spend our time looking at a screen, asking computers what we should do with our lives, asking them to create beautiful landscape videos and to change the color of our hair. All the while, more water is wasted, more land is taken from the animals natural habitats, and we go back to our screens.
With AI facilities going up everywhere, which use tons more fresh water than most people realize, we are speeding up the process of killing nature exponentially. We watch social media, which divides all of us from our neighbors and fellow Americans. We have fallen so far from what I believe our mission on this Earth was meant to be.
We are meant to protect this planet. To live with Nature, not opposed to it. We were meant to help plants and animals that need healing or protection, to love all living things equally, and to help us and nature flourish. I hope my artwork can shed light on this truth, to show the unnatural systems we are asked to live in contrasted with the intrinsic beauty of nature. We are one with this planet and nature. I hope I can help bring people home to that truth.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. If immortality were real, what would you build?
If immortality were real, I would want to help shift our society to be more ecocentric. I would help show the benefit of using today’s technology to work with nature rather than what we can take from nature. Imagine if we used today’s technology to help heal the planet while also helping make our lives easier and more integrated. Wouldn’t that be wonderful? Instead of the current theme of “every man for himself”, of scarcity and fear, we could lead with love, creativity, equality, and prosperity. There are plenty of resources to go around, so many scientists, doctors, and philanthropists have confirmed this, but corporate greed has us trapped in a system that doesn’t care about us, doesn’t care about nature, or the balance of life. I would work to use my art to shift the tides. I would also want to showcase how important creativity is to humankind. We are meant to create, not just consume. Creativity expands our minds to think open-mindedly, to be more empathetic and understanding of others’ difficulties and struggles. I would work hard to help this shift to happen.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.schristopherkuithe.com
- Instagram: sckcreative
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/sckuithe
