Luke Redd

Photo by Sarah Redd

I'm an artist in British Columbia with a degree in visual communications and over 25 years of professional experience as a marketer, visual designer, copywriter, and creative director. My paintings and reproductions can be found in private collections throughout the United States and Canada. In addition to visual art, my creative interests include writing and music composition.

Exhibitions

  • 2018—Group exhibition—Animal Art Show, Kelowna Vegan Festival, Rotary Centre for the Arts, Kelowna, BC

  • 2017—Group show and sale—Okanagan Art Fair, West Kelowna, BC

  • 2015—Juried group show and sale—"For the Love of Art Almighty," Rotary Centre for the Arts, Kelowna, BC

  • 2015—Featured artist, Wine & Art Bistro, Kelowna, BC

  • 2015—Juried group exhibition, Lake Country ArtWalk, Lake Country, BC

  • 2015—Solo exhibition, Lake Country Municipal Hall, Lake Country, BC

  • 2014—Juried group exhibition, "A Night of a Thousand Lights," Kelowna, BC

  • 2014—Juried group exhibition, Lake Country ArtWalk, Lake Country, BC

  • 2014—Juried group exhibition, "A Step Forward," Lake Country Art Gallery, Lake Country, BC

Galleries

Collections

  • Private collections, Kelowna, BC

  • Private collections, Lake Country, BC

  • Private collections, West Kelowna, BC

  • Private collections, Denver, CO

  • Private collections, Littleton, CO

  • Private collection, Dallas, TX

  • Private collection, Charlotte, NC

Frequently Asked Questions

Why “Blood Drifter”?

It represents an idea that I aspire to live by. A blood drifter is someone who lives peacefully and openly within a chaotic world. It is someone who uses the pain from life’s struggles to sharpen their capacity for empathy and fellowship with all other human beings.

We put so much effort into building up our identities and walling in our egos—as individuals and as groups—that I think we often can’t see beyond ourselves, let alone behind the walls of others. It makes true connection difficult, if not impossible, in many interactions. And it prevents us from cooperating to solve the biggest problems we all face. But I think we can change that.

Blood is at the core of our existence. It flows in all of us. It reminds us of our fragility and shared mortality. But it can also remind us of our capacity for blind generosity. We will give away our blood in order to give life to others—people we will never meet. People we might otherwise consider our enemies.

So I think we do ourselves a disservice by labeling only a few people in our lives as blood relatives. That makes for such a narrow and confining paradigm. And it encourages nothing but an “Us versus Them” mentality. Then we build that guarded mindset into our religious, political, and cultural affiliations. Is it any wonder we experience so much gridlock and violence?

We need to learn how to drift. Our protective walls only serve to make our best qualities stagnate and decay. By getting rid of them, we give life to our true potential and allow it to flow more freely—unconcerned with who it might run into. Because we are all blood relatives. And our stories are all remarkably similar once you strip away the superficial window dressing.

So I strive to be a blood drifter. I want to be able to stray out of my comfort zone with the knowledge that I’m among family—no matter how scary or different things may appear. Then I want to connect and delight and surprise and collaborate while staying open to new lessons and ideas and possibilities.

It’s an ideal worth pursuing with the knowledge that I’ll never be perfect at it. But perfection isn’t my goal. Connection is.

blood-drifter-symbol.png

What Does Your Logo Represent?

It symbolizes the understanding that no matter which direction we come from, we each share the same capacity for violence or generosity. We can walk a gentle path or a more aggressive one. But, in the end, we all end up in the same place. And life is circular. If I hurt you, I am also hurting myself. If I am kind to you, I am also being kind to myself.

Why Don’t You Focus on Mastering Just One Form of Art?

Because I believe that specialization can breed aggression. Specialization often creates more walls and fortresses in a world that needs fewer of them. Nobody is just one thing. We all have multiple selves. Our “souls” want to explore. So why not let them?

I’m just not down with this whole industrial idea that each person must be ground into a specialized widget. It makes us feel isolated and separate from others. Life is about the nuances. If we don’t allow ourselves to explore the different shades of our own talents and curiosities, then how can we ever hope to understand the needs or motivations of anybody else?

Plus, mastery in the arts is subjective. It’s too ambiguous a target. So it seems silly to aim for it. Better to aim for truth, authenticity, and a clear expression of what's in your heart, regardless of the medium.