The artist behind Kirsch Street Studio, Kris Kuzdub’s background in architecture informs her art.
Known for her city landscapes of places she’s been to and lived in, Kuzdub, a qualified architect with a master’s degree in architecture, launched the studio in 2020, as a route for her to find a way back to her art.
Kuzdub started with a challenge of drawing the 30 places she had been to before she turned 30. Never short on ideas, she found herself getting into a rhythm, slipping into a meditative state as she sketched.
Ruth Bonneville / Free Press
After studying architecture and urban design at university, Kris Kuzdub of Kirsch Street Studio is now a full-time travel and architecture artist whose work focuses on cities, buildings, homes and landscapes.
Her work, she says, has given her a reason to draw and has helped her enjoy the process even more.
Featuring clean strong lines in bold black pen, Kuzdub’s renditions of Winnipeg’s skyline, highlighting the city’s most prominent landmarks, are some of her most popular works, as are her custom depictions of home exteriors, commissioned by clients who want their dwellings memorialized in her signature style.
“I’m definitely known for my home drawings. The Winnipeg landmarks kick-started the architectural focus for my home drawings and planted the seed for the style. My Winnipeg Waldo designs are also super popular,” she says.
Kuzdub has sketched houses all across Canada, referencing photographs sent in by people and by using Google Street View to capture the different perspectives.
“I love drawing places that are special to people; I love the way people connect to places,” she says.
“Homes are so significant, and I love the meaning behind each one of those custom drawings. I recently drew a family home that had burned down in a fire. They are still waiting for it to be rebuilt. It’s very meaningful to do a home like that. I have done all the homes a couple has lived in together and the most popular request is for family homes that may no longer be in the family.”
Ruth Bonneville / Free Press
Kuzdub’s signature style involves hand-drawing people’s homes.
She has begun to expand on her original works, her keen eye picking out oft-missed details tucked into corners and cubbies, seeking inspiration from the smallest and most hidden of places.
“There are the iconic views, of course, but my favourite thing when I am travelling is just walking the streets and seeing what catches my eye. I love a little alleyway with architectural detail. Oftentimes those are what stick out in my mind,” she says.
The minimalist nature of her work — she can draw anywhere with very little in the way of materials — has given her the freedom to make art wherever she is, whether that’s on a terrace with a beer and a view or on a subway train, her mind’s eye wandering back to something she’d previously seen on a stroll.
Her prized edifice in Winnipeg is the Ashdown Building — “it’s still one of my favourite drawings” — although she loves any of the buildings in The Exchange.
“I genuinely love living in Winnipeg. It’s one of those places you have to get to know and find those nuances,” she says.
Kuzdub is currently mulling over her annual fundraiser, drawing on her artistic skills to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer.
Ruth Bonneville / Free Press
Artist, Kris Kuzdub, working at home on her signature work.
“I do calendars every year where I donate a portion of the proceeds to CancerCare Manitoba. I have a history of breast cancer in my family and I would say that I’ve made it a priority from Day 1 to give back where I can,” she says.
The calendars, launching on Oct. 21, can be found alongside Kuzdub’s other artwork and custom prints on her website kirschstreetstudio.square.site and on Instagram at @kirschstreetstudio.
av.kitching@freepress.mb.ca
AV Kitching
Reporter
AV Kitching is an arts and life writer at the Free Press. She has been a journalist for 24 years and has worked across three continents writing about people, travel, food, and fashion. Read more about AV.
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