Daniel Kinkade Fine Art, founded by Daniel Kinkade over a decade ago, joyfully caters to art collectors beginning their collecting and also works with interior designers, architects, developers, hotels and retailers to secure or commission the perfect art for their spaces. Portraiture has seen a resurgence in popularity in recent years, along with figurative nudes, photography and conceptual art; all a step forward for the Chicago art and design scene. This is where Daniel Kinkade and his team thrive.

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“We tend to focus on art that may not be simply described as decorative or pretty and we try to stay away from trends,” said Kinkade at our recent site visit with one of his clients. As his assistant measured walls which needed just the right pieces, he explained to me that they want to push the envelope a bit, challenge the Chicago audience and their designers to consider bold, striking, global, and ethnic art for spaces where they may not have considered them a fit years before.

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In one of the spaces in this particular home hangs a salon wall of mixed works including one Daniel commissioned from Parisian artist, Philipe Vignal, who grew up in Africa. “When we first showed these to the client, they were shocked. They had never considered hanging portraits of women from a small tribe in Arica above their contemporary console table in a room of neutral fabrics, but the result is emotional, brings reverence to the subject matter and is in the end, most importantly, memorable,” remarked Kinkade. The collection also showcases a work from a Syrian refugee artist, an Australian photographer, and a New York abstract artist. Around the world on one wall!

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On the flip side, DKFA specializes in abstract works from Europe, and one of their most popular artists, Dragica Carlin, created an orange-apricot work of intentional swirls, and whimsical strokes of motion for a space designed by Martell Interiors on the North Shore. Kinkade explained to me they had looked for the right piece for this room for several weeks and after showing the client some of Carlin’s work on a whim, they fell in love with her style. A painting on linen from London just happened to fit the space perfectly, all the way across the pond, and it looks right at home.

2b-0001.jpgRYAN MCDONALD FOR MARTELL INTERIORS

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October 5, 2021
Photography by: ROBERT CHILDRESS / RYAN MCDONALD FOR MARTELL INTERIORS