The Journey to Becoming an Artist

One of the most common questions Kristan gets asked is ‘how did you become an artist?’

As it turns out, Kristan was drawing before he could speak. The son of an artist, he was encouraged by his mother to pursue art from a young age – first at school and at home as a child, then through art competitions as a teenager and young adult.

Then came a strange kind of coincidence: the same year he was accepted into a fine arts programme at university, he was also offered his first gallery space on Collins Street. Assured by his professor that he already had everything he needed to run a successful gallery, Kristan threw himself into life as a professional artist.

The first pieces exhibited were all colour paintings, inspired by a period of chronic illness that meant he was unable to enjoy the light and colour that the world had to offer. Now recovered, it was these elements that formed the basis of his style – bright, vibrant artworks that celebrate light and life.

His monochromatic sketches, now a cornerstone of his work, were at the time less of a focus. That changed during lockdown. With opportunities to leave the house few and far between, Kristan began taking his sketchpad with him on his daily exercise to the beach. From there, he sat down and began sketching in a minimalist style inspired by Japanese printmaking.

Those early sketches from the Port Phillip Bay grew into the thirty pieces that made up his first professional exhibition. Half sold on opening night, and the rest were gone within a month. Kristan wasn't the only one to notice what a special series it was – one visitor to the exhibition suggested he turn his attention to Melbourne's landmarks instead of just its coastline. From that single remark, his now-famous 365-day documentary series was born.