OPENING RECEPTION / THURSDAY DECEMBER 4. 5-8
ARTIST RECEPTION & TALK / SATURDAY DECEMBER 6. 1-4
Christine Klassen Gallery is pleased to present 12 Questions, a new body of work by Calgary-based artist Chris Kuzmanovich. Rooted in curiosity, introspection, and the quiet revelations that surface when we ask the right questions, this painted series reimagines the spirit of the famous Proust Questionnaire for a contemporary world.
For this exhibition, Kuzmanovich turns inward, using painting as a vehicle to explore the complexities of self-knowledge. “I have always been fascinated by the Proust Questionnaire,” he notes. “With open-ended questions, you can reveal parts of yourself organically. My new art show is a painted collection of just that.”
The series consists of 12 works, each corresponding to an adapted question — tailored not only for today’s cultural landscape but also for the artist’s own ongoing search for meaning. In some works, the question itself becomes the answer; in others, it is interpreted visually, abstractly, or through the structural echoes that have long been part of Kuzmanovich’s painterly language.
About the Artist
Chris Kuzmanovich is a Calgary-based creative originally from the Northwest Territories. He studied interior design at Mount Royal College and worked in the field for several years before establishing his own design firm, CVK, in 2007. His experience in design — with its attention to spatial relationships, material sensibility, and built form — naturally evolved into a painting practice over a decade ago.
What began as a self-reflexive exploration has since developed into a signature visual language. Kuzmanovich is widely recognized for his bold, expressive abstracts, which frequently gesture toward architectural and structural elements. His paintings balance clarity and spontaneity, geometry and intuition, offering viewers a space for contemplation and emotional resonance.