By Ian Archbold

Kenneth "Kenny" Kudulis Jr and his wife Jenifer have spent the better part of three years traveling the tri-state area, selling Kenny's art - a series of MTA subway and New York street inspired creatures called Kudu-Lah - at art and craft festivals. 

While at the Union Square Holiday Market last year, Urban Space, the firm behind the Union Square Market approached Kudu-Lah with the option to move into a permanent space at the yet-to-be built Dekalb Market. Now, with a shipping container to call home, Kenny can focus on painting and creating creatures. I sat down with Kenny a month after moving into Kudu-Lah's new gallery space to discuss his collections and his burgeoning art business.

IA: You were raised in Alabama, art and culture don't really spring to mind. What influenced you in the arts and theater?

Kenny: Yeah, it was kind of tough. We would drive to New Orleans or Pensacola because that was the closest music venues. Pensacola had a museum and New Orleans has everything especially music. But visually there isn't much (art) going on ; portraits, baby paintings, landscape art etc. That's why I like to paint on other paintings, it's awesome that someone took the time to make them. That's how I came up with the verses collection .

IA: Where to acquire the paintings you use in the "verses" collection?

Kenny: Thrift stores, flea markets, the street...any where and every where. Especially back in Alabama, they really inexpensive good stuff. The word vintage or flea has a different meaning here in the city. A painting I can get for $20 back in Alabama would be $80 here. Crazy!

IA: You got your start in theater specifically musicals, how was that experience?

Kenny: I was really bad, I acted back in college. I had this really bad audition, where I had to sing and I bombed. I was in front 300 people and the casting directors had a binder with my info and the all in unison turned the page. I had 10-15 bars left., I was like that's it. Then I started doing scenic art.

IA: What did you study at Julliard?

Kenny: I studied scenic art.

IA: So it wasn't acting that got you into Julliard?

Kenny: Yeah, not performance. Set painting, back drops, stuff like that. I was there about a year and those people were awesome.

IA: Is that when your interest in art started to pique?

Kenny: Mostly in my Junior and Senior year of college. Then through all the contacts I made working in the city. Theater art was what I did for about three years. 

IA: How did you segueway from scenic art to doing your own art?

Kenny: I basically got burned out in the studio. The studio is in a little box in Brooklyn some where, for eight hours a day, cut off from the theater process. Got bored painting smudgy corners and wood grain. I was like I should do my own thing.

IA: How did you get burned out on theater painting?

Kenny: Scenic painting for theater has crazy hours 3-4 am is the only time you have the stage to work on. So I would be going home on the subway at crazy hours with my sketch pad . Since trains aren't as frequent after midnight it would sometimes take two hours to get home. I would just start drawing weirdos and scary folk on the subway. Early in the morning, on the F train I would transform these weirdos into creatures.

IA: What were your first creatures/collection?

Kenny: It was the creatures on the Mason jars. Then, I would get photographs and transfer the creatures that were then mounted onto wooden blocks that my Dad makes for me in Alabama. Now I have 300-400 creatures, sketchbooks full. Soon I will retire 3 from my main cast of 16 and replace them with 3 new creatures.

IA: Are your inspirations still coming from passengers on the subway?

Kenny: Passengers on the subway, pets, I have one of my dog Pixel. But I get inspiration from people I meet on the road at fairs and festivals and interesting folk walking around the city.

IA: You have been at the Dekalb Market for a little over a month. Did you have a space or gallery before?

Kenny: This is our first space/gallery. I hustled on the street a while and moved up to art and craft festivals , now here.

IA: As far as business and sales is your art selling?

Kenny: I have nothing to compare the sales to but I guess it's a price point thing. The post cards are selling along with the Mason jar blocks. I mean it's going to take a special person spend $1,500 on a painting. I can't afford to do it , unless I was rich or had the extra cash. I am doing a lot of commissions though and that's awesome.

IA: What would you say is your main medium for you art?

Kenny: Photo transfers on wood, photo transfers with the creature on the photographs and the verses on old record albums and original art.

IA: Where would you to take Kudu-Lah?

Kenny: Well I finished a children's book and hopefully that leads to a really cool animated series. I have been talking to some publishers and hopefully one bites. I am stoked it's a weird and slow game and I am still learning the rules.

Kudu-Lah is open open daily 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Mon. through Fri. and 10 a.m.-7p.m. Sat. and Sun. at the Dekalb Market.