The artist next to the piece “I Think I Need Another Striped Shirt” (2023) from her show “Let Me Show You Something.”
Working primarily in soft pastel, Kira Ru-djen (b Nashville 1989) creates vibrant pieces ranging from expressive landscapes to intimate portraits to cheeky skeleton works (“skelebuddies”). Their ambidextrous approach gives the audience a window to her way of thinking, and her work has been described as a colorful sidestep from realism.
Her work has been featured in galleries in the Midwest and published in both online and print magazines out of Detroit and New Jersey.
Currently based in Pennsylvania.
Bulletin and Links
At the end of 2025, a meant to be collaboration between Switch Wicked Studios and Kira Ru-djen happened, The Skelebuddy Tee. Working with Ash and Dane to create something meant to be worn was so much fun, and narrowing down the way I wanted to share the whimsy and levity of the skelebuddy work I do was a delightful challenge.
How to Pastel is an amazing online platform filled with writings, courses, tips, tricks, and reverence for all things soft pastel.
In 2025, I wrote about the process of my figurative work - how I start a piece, balance improvisation, intuition, and read the image as I work. If you’re a fellow artist and are curious about how my work unfolds, please do give it a read.
The PSA is a non profit dedicated to promoting and advancing the art of pastel painting. It’s both a hub for pastel artists and an incredible community hosting events and exhibitions and shows and classes - all with the goal of furthering the pastel medium and its artists legacies. I was elected as an Associate Member of the Pastel Society of America in 2025, a fact I’m very proud of.
You can read my original announcement by clicking here.
I was selected as the winner of the first inaugural Plein Air on Poyntz “All Things Downtown” event.
My piece focused on the things that say “American Downtown” to me - streetlamps, awnings, beautiful flower baskets and string lights.
The Mercury covered the event in their Saturday edition, and I shared briefly about my experience. You can access that article by clicking here.
Are you on IG?
I post behind the scenes and processes of my artwork on Instagram stories,
and often you can reach me faster through a DM. Recent posts below!
