​USA b.1973 Oshkosh, WI

Lives and Works in both Los Angeles and Dubuque, IA

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E. E. Kono is a painter based in Los Angeles, California, and Dubuque, Iowa. A descendant of frontier settlers and raised in Iowa’s Driftless Region, she works in the ancient medium of egg tempera to examine the relationship between material, landscape, and narrative.

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Kono’s practice centers on the layered histories of American mythology, with particular attention to the cultural legacies of Manifest Destiny and westward expansion. Using materials such as silverpoint and natural pigments gathered from historically significant sites, she creates paintings that encourage viewers to look beyond familiar stories and consider the quieter, often overlooked truths embedded in place.

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Kono studied art history at the University of Iowa (Iowa City, IA) and the University of Hull (Kingston Upon Hull, England). She learned traditional egg tempera techniques under the guidance of artist Koo Schadler. Kono’s work has been exhibited internationally and in notable venues, including Bergdorf Goodman (NYC) and Future Fair (NYC) and the Riverside Art Museusm (CA) Solo exhibits at the Dubuque Museum of Art (Dubuque, IA), La Luz de Jesus (Los Angeles, CA), and Gallery 825 (Los Angeles) and an upcoming exhibit at Troutbeck (Amenia, NY) Numerous group exhibits including at FORMah (NYC) Modern Eden (San Francisco, CA), Beinart Gallery, (Melbourne Australia).  Her paintings have been seen in Beautiful Bizarre Magazine, American Art Collector, Arts to Hearts Magazine, and Juxtapoz magazine. Additionally, she is an award-winning author and illustrator with over a dozen books published by major trade houses. Her book illustrations are in the collection of the Mazza Museum (Findley, OH)​

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