Past Exhibitions
Three artists depict surf culture and the influence of the ocean using different mediums. Wade Koniakowsky and Kristianne Koch Riddle will be showing their work in the gallery and Olga Lah will be showing her work in the gardens.
“I’ve been blessed to live near the ocean all my life. It‘s my constant source of inspiration. My paintings reflect the many moods, colors, and energy of the ocean.”
Wade Koniakowsky, one of the nation’s leading ocean-inspired artists, began painting at the age of six and started surfing before he was 12. By blending these two passions, he has gained worldwide recognition for his oil paintings of the ocean. Wade’s work is currently showcased in galleries in Europe and the U.S., particularly in Hawaii.
With a formal background in advertising, Wade has served as Creative Director on campaigns for numerous Fortune 500 brands. His 25-year advertising career earned him over 300 awards in national and global creative competitions.
Kristianne was born and raised in San Clemente, CA to a family of adventurers and artists. After receiving her BFA in photography, she set off on her own adventures and honed her expedition skills in the mountains of California, Colorado, and Mexico while guiding for the Sierra Club and the Colorado Outward Bound School. Soon after she met her husband they set out on a life-changing adventure together sailing a 38’ sailboat 8,000 miles from San Diego, CA to French Polynesia and north to Hawaii over the course of a year and a half.
Kristianne is a visual artist captivated by works on paper, sculpture, and book arts. Common themes in her work are thresholds, paradox, and personal narrative where they intersect with environment and motherhood. She received a BFA in Photography from California State University at Long Beach. She has taught photography at CSUF, held numerous workshops, lectured at CSULB, received recognition from Luerzer’s Archive, Communication Arts Magazine, and is a Critical Mass finalist.
Kristianne’s work has been exhibited at the Center for Fine Art Photography, Griffin Museum of Photography, Panopticon Gallery, and the Kiernan Gallery amongst others. Her work is held in both private and permanent museum collections.
When she’s not in her studio or creating on location, she is exploring the California coast by sailboat with her husband and teenage children. Kristianne and her family are currently refitting a 46’ Kelly Peterson offshore sailboat to sail to the Sea of Cortez and beyond.
Balancing her thirst for adventure, freedom, and spontaneity while settling down with a routine to raise a family has heavily influenced her work. She is nestled into her hometown, for now, to be near family.
Olga Lah was born in Los Angeles to Korean-American immigrants and raised in Torrance, CA. She currently resides in Long Beach, CA. She received a double B.A. in Studio Art and Art History from the University of California at Riverside. She also received an M.A. in Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary. She explores ideas on existence in large-scale, site-specific installations. Her work engages with themes of transcendence, perception, and phenomenological experience. She has exhibited extensively including at the Orange County Museum of Art, Newport Beach; Craft Contemporary, Los Angeles; Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions; Los Angeles International Airport. Her work has been featured in the Los Angeles Times, LA Weekly, OC Weekly, KCET Artbound, and Los Angeles Magazine.
