Gene Kiegel (b.1974) is an interdisciplinary artist currently based in New York. Kiegel’s artwork challenges our understanding of the universe, exposing an omnipresent universal language through a wide range of innovative and unconventional materials and artistic processes. Born in Odessa, Ukraine, Kiegel immigrated in 1989 as a Jewish refugee to the United States. The shock of loss and relocation impelled Kiegel to channel his emotions into art—what began as an instinctive coping mechanism has evolved into a lifelong practice.
Kiegel holds a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Design & Architecture from the University of California Berkeley (1998). In 2000, Kiegel moved to Los Angeles and began his artistic journey with photography, working with numerous actors, celebrities (Idris Elba, Paris Hilton, Wolfgang Puck), musicians (Gypsy Kings, Skylar Grey, Ice Cube, Lil John), fashion labels (Salvage, Division E, Saks Fifth Avenue,Top Shop), magazines, and advertising companies. Kiegel’s photography career led him to London, where in 2005 he started shooting international campaigns for such brands as Swatch, Toshiba, D Squared, and Urban Outfitters. He also shot for fashion and art publications (including Vice, Clam, and LABB), and his works appeared internationally.
Analogue photography inspired new art projects, prompting Kiegel to leave the commercial world altogether. In 2010, Kiegel moved to New York, a major hub of the art world, to dedicate himself fulltime to making fine art. Kiegel has exhibited internationally (New York, Miami, Los Angeles, London, Paris, St. Petersburg) with artwork in the collections of Elli Tahari, Tiffany Masterson, Moishe Mana, Moshe Mamrud, Miguel Mendoza, and others.