Arch Awards artist inspired by nature

By Jacqueline Louie

Kirk Dunkley, BFA’08, draws his inspiration from the natural world.

His art evokes the forms found in the environment, which he says is all about order, sequence and patterns. “Geometric forms are one of the simplest elements in nature—they are all around us,” says Dunkley, 24, who designed and made the 2008 Arch Awards—the U of C’s highest honour for outstanding alumni.

Dunkley cut hundreds of quarter-inch pieces of acrylic with a laser beam and layered them into a geometric pattern to create the Distinguished Alumni Award and the Graduate of the Last Decade Award. He describes the sculptures—his first serious commission—as a mathematical progression and transformation through space, using geometric shapes to create an organic form.

“I was interested in permutations and how you can create two different objects using the same components,” says Dunkley, who made a seven-year supply of the awards.

Dunkley says he likes to focus on creating art that people don’t necessarily have to understand in order to enjoy. “I try to build on concepts that tap into people’s natural understanding of the world—a primitive connection with nature that is very repressed because of the technology all around us.”

Being creative in three dimensions has been part of Dunkley’s life from the time he was a small child playing with Plasticine and Lego. He was strongly into the arts while attending high school in Airdrie; obtaining a fine arts degree at U of C has allowed him to observe and interpret the world in a more creative and critical way.

Now an EVDS student studying industrial design, Dunkley wants to apply his artistic skills to create practical things such as furniture, appliances and automotive products. He hopes to build his reputation as an artist and designer—not just for himself, but in order to help other people. In particular, he’s interested in researching cost-effective ways to produce clean water and electricity in developing nations.

“I’ve had a lot of opportunity. I’ve been pretty lucky,” says Dunkley, who wants to pass on to others some of the opportunities that have been given to him.

His words of advice for other young grads? “Don’t stop working. When you’re finished, work some more,” he says. And for those who are going into the arts: “Stay true to who you are creatively.”