I do not care about the destination at the end of the hallway. My paintings are about the unknown and tension of never finding out. I require faith from my viewer. There is a light we are both following together and even I am not sure where it is supposed to take us. I find inspiration from real photographs of rooms I have existed in and then I abstract that space with paint. I end up finding a room on my canvas that is completely my own. The shape of the space is borrowed for a moment until I find the most true expression of the feeling rather than the architecture. Paint has always been my compass but I’m still looking.

Bio:

Reagan Kruse received her BFA from College of Charleston in 2023 and now lives and works in Atlanta, GA where she is pursuing a Masters in Fine Art from Savannah College of Art and Design. Reagan’s oil paintings collect moments of mystery from cities all over the world. Taking a palette from the dark and earthy atmosphere of her hometown in north Georgia, she paints views looking out into somewhere else. She has been awarded placement in the annual Art Fields event located in Lake City, SC 2024 and Festival of Flowers, a juried group exhibition with Arts Center Greenwood. Reagan’s work has been exhibited with The Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art in Charleston, SC and Gap Gallery in Charleston, SC (2022 and 2024). Her collector base spans the southeast including Charleston, Rosemary Beach, Atlanta, and more. Her exploration of space through oil paint and photography continues to effectively capture the moment of reprieve we all seek.

Education:

2023: College Of Charleston, BFA
2025 - Present: Savannah College of Art and Design, MFA

CV:

  • 2024: Art in Motion Two Person Exhibition - Leslie Jandrain Art, Raleigh, NC

  • 2024: Festival of Flowers Group Exhibition - Arts Center Greenwood, Greenwood, SC

  • 2024: Group Exhibition - Gap Gallery, Charleston, SC

  • 2024: Selected for Art Fields competition 2024 - Lake City, SC

  • 2023: Dreams and Nightmares Group Exhibition - Boomer Gallery, London

  • 2023: College of Charleston Senior Thesis Show 

  • 2022: Group Exposition - Gap Gallery, Charleston, SC

  • 2022: Gap Gallery Logo Design Winner 

  • 2022: Young Contemporaries Group Exhibition - The Halsey Institute, Charleston, SC

Publications:

Voyage Raleigh ‘Local Stories: Conversation with Reagan Kruse’

Shoutout Atlanta ‘Local Stories: Meet Reagan Kruse’

Featured in VoyageRaleigh Magazine for ‘Inspiring Stories’