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 409, Underground Collective, The Flight Crew and MHKArt in the Midwest and published in both online and print magazines out of Detroit and New Jersey (feat. Juste Milieu, Cheeky Art Haus, and Two Key Customs). She currently has an ongoing collaborative tshirt line with Switch Wicked from Manhattan Kansas.
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.
How to Pastel is an amazing online platform filled with writings, courses, tips, tricks, and reverence for all things soft pastel.
In 2025, Kira was asked to write about her process and what it takes to create a Skelebuddy.
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. In 2025, Kira was elected as a new Associate Member.
Muse Memorandum Interview
An interview with the artist, written by JJ of Reine de Blanc in Spring of 2024.
Kira was selected as the winner of the first inaugural Plein Air on Poyntz “All Things Downtown” event.
The Mercury covered the event in their Saturday edition. 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!
