Kris Hotvedt (1943-2005)
"The Dressing Room"
acrylic on panel
36" x 48"
About the Artist
Kris Hotvedt (1943-2005) was born in Wautoma, Wisconsin. She was a precocious child winning numerous art awards in elementary and high school before studying art at the Layton School of Art in Milwaukee. She received a scholarship to the San Francisco Art Institute where she received her BFA in 1964. She received her MFA from the Instituto Allende in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico in 1967.
Hotvedt moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1969 and lived there until her death.
Kris was also the art editor of Pembroke magazine and taught art at St. John’s College in Santa Fe. In addition, she gave numerous art lectures, demonstrations and workshops throughout the State of New Mexico.
An artist of strong professional commitment, Hotvedt exhibited widely throughout the United States in both group and solo shows. Her work is represented in public and private collections throughout the country.
Artist Statement: “The Language of Tango”
As both a tango dancer and a visual artist, I am captivated by the unspoken dialogue that unfolds between two bodies and motion. My work seeks to capture the emotional intensity, physical tension, and fleeting beauty of these intimate conversations.
Tango is more than a dance - it's a form of communication built on trust, presence, and mutual expression. In my paintings, I explore these dynamics through bold color, layered textures, and carefully framed compositions. Whether focusing on a full embrace or just a fleeting detail - a clasped hand, an arched back, or the sharp elegance of a heel - I aim to distill the essence of the moment where music, movement, and emotion converge.
I often choose to crop the figures, isolating parts of the body in motion to highlight the expressive power of posture and gesture. By doing so, I invite viewers to step into the dance - not as spectators, but as participants in its silent poetry.
These paintings are not just this depictions of tango; they are reflections of my own experience within the dance. Each brushstroke is guided by the rhythm of the music and the memory of the movement, expressing the emotional landscape of a dance that speaks without words.
Kris Hotvedt (1943-2005)
