Dubuque-artist E. E. Kono returns to DuMA for a solo exhibition of fantastical tempera paintings that explore history, myth, and legend. Kono is inspired by the Driftless Area’s landscape. For her, the region is defined by a river that links the land to the sea, the complex past to a shifting present, and local to global. Ancient limestone bluffs are scattered with fossils from a prehistoric sea and dotted with effigy mounds shaped like bears and birds and serpents by Eastern Woodland Natives. Growing up in such a place taught Kono to perceive the world as full of connections and layered meanings that drift between cultures and time.

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Kono specializes in the use of egg tempera and silverpoint. The creation of each painting begins with a meticulously detailed metal point drawing on a traditional gesso surface. This method is a tribute to the significant role precious metals have played in shaping Western culture. The artist employs ground pigments sourced from various parts of the world, blending them with egg yolk and applying them in numerous semi-translucent layers. The resulting technique is characterized by its linear qualities and purity of color. 

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Kono studied art history at the University of Iowa (Iowa City, IA) and the University of Hull (Kingston Upon Hull, England). She has also studied traditional egg tempera techniques under the guidance of artist Koo Schadler. Kono’s work has been exhibited internationally and in notable venues, including La Luz de Jesus (Los Angeles, CA), Modern Eden (San Francisco, CA), Riverside Art Museum (Riverside, California), and Beinart Gallery, (Melbourne Australia).  Her paintings have been seen in American Art Collector, Arts to Hearts Magazine, and Juxtapoz magazine. Additionally, she is an award-winning author and illustrator with over a dozen books published by major trade houses. Her book illustrations are in the collection of the Mazza Museum (Findley, OH)