Bio

Eli Kerns (b. 1994) grew up in eastern Oregon. He graduated with a BS in Human Biology and is currently an MFA candidate at BYU. He anticipates graduating in April of 2026. Eli enjoys spending time with his wife (also an artist) and two-year-old daughter. Eli is an avid runner, hiker, amateur birder, and woodworker. Eli is currently living and working in Provo, Utah. Living at the foot of the Wasatch Mountains has provided endless enjoyment and inspiration. His work centers around a desire to understand his place in the world. He primarily works with Japanese paper, ink, wax, and wood.

My art centers around a desire to understand my place in the natural world. I grew up outdoors in the forests of eastern Oregon where I became intimately connected with the living organisms around me. The return of the redwing blackbirds each spring, and the first ripe raspberry of the year were important events in my life. These junctures in cyclical time continue to fascinate me, as do the rituals we observe to distinguish them. Childlike curiosity and embodied exploration, drives my work. I work with a variety of media, including ink, paper, and wax to create layered, transparent compositions that unify multiple images into one. This process provides an omniscient view—of everything at once, while obscured details suggest the passage of time, cycles, loss, memory, and decay.

Artist Statement