Today in New York: Kenneth Kudulis
Kenny Kudulis grew up in Mobile, Alabama, a city that is nestled right on the Gulf of Mexico. He says that he has “always created or at the very least created a mess”, always wanting -ever since a kid “to paint and get my hands dirty.” After a degree in Theatre from the University of South Alabama, he realized really early that acting wasn’t his thing and thus switched to painting the sets and backdrops. And this thing -which Kenny loved- is exactly what brought him to New York in the first place.
In the City Kenny landed a job at the Juilliard School, worked freelance in the Off Broadway scene and then finally decided to pursue his own art and develop his own creations. And that’s how the super funny world of the Kudu-Lah critters was born.
:: Why and when did you started Kudu-Lah? I started Kudu-Lahabout 3 years ago. I wanted to create something that was fun. Art you can snicker at. I started doodling these lil critters based on people I saw as I was riding the subway home late at night from work. They were really fun so I started painting them. I took photographs of where I had drawn them. One critter led to the next and now I have around 200 or so. I only use 16 right now but will add more in the future.
:: Where do you find your inspiration? I love going to the American Museum of Natural History for inspiration! Also, just people watching down in Union Square Park. I get a lot of ideas from the people I met and observe.
:: Who is your ideal costumer? I love little kids who buy my stuff with their own allowance money. I think that is so cool because that child earned that money and they want to spend it on my lil critters. It’s really cool to know I’m am possibly starting a kids art collection! I would say my ideal buyer is children from ages 3 to 12 and young people, 22-35.
:: What is your favorite spot in the City? I really love Union Square Park. I have sold there , on the street, for about the same amount of time kudu-lah has been around. I create critter paintings and prints and tourist and locals alike buy them. It is an amazing place. A spot that has fostered my creativity and has allowed me to grow as an artist and as a business person. It is a slice of the NYC dream.
:: Do you think NYC can still be considered the place to be for young creatives? I hope so and totally believe so. NYC is hard , really hard sometimes but as the song goes if you can make it here you can make it anywhere.
::Where do you shop in NYC? I like to go to Uniqlo and Urban Outfitters. There is a really sweet watch company called Nooka out of NYC that I really like.
:: If I say Italy, you say…? The place I am going to spend my one year anniversary with the wife this October! I love Italy! I went there my first year of college and that trip alone inspired me to be an artist.
Francesca MasoeroFrancesca Masoero non è la campionessa di canottaggio che appare se digitate il suo nome su Google. È l’altra, la multitasker. Ha un (in)utile dottorato in cinema e marketing; racconta in modo non convenzionale e creativo New York, Torino e Bologna su NUOK e scrive di eventi, lifestyle e cultura per Lookout Magazine; si occupa di marketing, comunicazione, pr e web 2.0 tra Torino (la sua città natale) e New York (la sua città ideale). In più, a volte fa la stylist e a volte la cool hunter. È creativa, ma pignolissima. Sembra zen, ma è perennemente sull’orlo di una crisi di nervi. La salvano le piccole cose della (sua) vita: il rock’n’roll, la pasta al pesto, internet e il suo nuovo bellissimo frigorifero da 300 litri, pieno di quello che il suo fidanzato chiama “cibo da conigli”.
