Kent Knowles American, b. 1975

Kent Knowles (1975, South Carolina) is an American artist and author who currently teaches in the Painting Department at Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta, where he is also Associate Chair of the Fine Arts Department. He earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting from Savannah College of Art and Design and his Master of Fine Arts from the University of Georgia.

As the son of an Army chaplain in the US Air Force, Kent grew up travelling around the world. He lived in Japan, Germany and various places in the United States. His love of visual imagery was fuelled by the rich experiences of his nomadic childhood. Knowles' most recent paintings deal with self-preservation and isolation. His work often depicts female characters in lush but potentially dangerous landscapes, creating a tension between vulnerability and strength.

His work is sometimes associated with pop surrealism, combining traditional techniques with contemporary, sometimes dark humour and dreamlike symbolism. Knowles often builds his compositions from abstraction, allowing figures to emerge from layers of brushstrokes rather than from a predetermined narrative.

Kent Knowles lives with his wife and two children on the outskirts of Atlanta, and when he is not painting, he is writing. He is the author/illustrator of two children's books, Lucius and the Storm and The Realm of Smaller Things, and is an avid writer of horror scenarios.