KRISTEN EGAN

AU NATUREL

solo exhibition

October 2nd - November 1st, 2026

Opening Reception: Friday, October 2nd, 2026​

​​​​

Arch Enemy Arts presents AU NATUREL, Kristen Egan’s tenth solo collection with the gallery. Sculpted from hard-shell gourds, branches, and paper clay, the show consists of eleven of Egan’s signature wall-hanging masks and five freestanding mini-masked totems taking the form of spirited, woodland creatures. With wild eyes, windswept antlers, and gold-leaf embellishments, these bears, owls, cats, and wolves exude all the earthy weirdness of fall. 

 

“I wanted to create a series of work that highlighted the natural materials, textures, and forms. I focused on movement and used minimal colors, with the natural shape of mountain laurel branches creating a sense of gesture and movement. The gold leaf symbols are recurring motifs—stars, floral, and botanical elements, as well as some stylized tree and spiral designs inspired by ancient stone carvings. As with all of my work, I hope it evokes some combination of humor and whimsy, a connection to the natural world, and an underlying sense of a darker, older sort of folklore.” - Kristen Egan

 

Egan uses paper clay to sculpt the faces, fur, and feather textures in her work, while the smooth areas reveal a natural, dried-gourd base protected by clear varnish. Blending rich brown and ochre paints along with meticulous sanding and assemblage, she creates convincing connections that add to the uncanny sense of life in her work. Egan tells us the most time-intensive elements of this collection, however, were the antlers. Made from mountain laurel collected on hiking trails around the artist’s studio, Egan dries, debarks, and carves the naturally lumpy branches into smooth, tapered antlers, turning each piece of this collection into an absolute showstopper. 

Kristen Egan (b. 1985) is based in Berks County, Pennsylvania. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from the SUNY College of Ceramics at Alfred University and began exhibiting with Arch Enemy Arts in 2012. 

​

AU NATUREL will be on view from October 2nd - November 1st, 2026
Sold works will begin to ship the week starting November 8th, unless other rush shipping arrangements have been made. 

Items marked with a red dot have already been sold.

​