ABOUT the ARTIST

Aaron Kent (“AK-47”) was born in Springfield Ohio in June of 1972. He studied commercial art in high school and studied fine art and sculpture at the Art Academy of Cincinnati. He then began work at Casting Arts and Technology in Cincinnati, where he studied bronze casting and metal fabrication for the next 7 years.

Aaron works in a variety of media, including bronze sculpture, metal plate, collage, oils, and performance art. He has shown his work at many galleries in the Cincinnati area, including Malton, Semantics, Red Saw Art, Gallery M, SYN Gallery, Design Smith Gallery, Delaya Contemporary, and Base.

Much of Aaron’s artwork confronts political and social issues and incorporates modern media images to challenge the viewer into thinking critically about the U.S. government and the values of the American people. Aaron’s work often expressly reminds the viewer of the fundamental American freedom of speech, and thus celebrates America, while at the same time criticizing various elements of modern American life. Aaron’s work is not a form of political protest; rather, it attempts to use visual images to challenge and provoke the viewer into considering serious political and social issues.

Aaron’s work incorporates images from his personal background in punk culture. His work is also influenced by his interest in body modification, piercing, and bondage. Aaron has worked with and been involved with these two subcultures for many years. These groups are very controversial and frequently misunderstood and they provide Aaron’s work with visually striking and thought-provoking images. Aaron is also influenced by his interest in music, and particularly in hard-core punk music, and Aaron uses music as a motivational tool to create, either through visual images drawn from the music world or through the use of performance art works.