Linda Le Kinff

Linda Le Kinff, born in Paris in 1949 to French and Brazilian parents, has built an extraordinary artistic career spanning continents and techniques. She served as the official artist for both the 1998 World Cup and the 2010 Kentucky Derby, achievements that highlight her international recognition. Beginning her painting career at age 20, Le Kinff traveled extensively throughout the 1970s to India, Tibet, Mexico and Italy, absorbing diverse artistic traditions that would shape her distinctive style.
During twelve years living and working in Italy, Le Kinff mastered ancient techniques including tempera, egg painting and gold leaf methods from masters in Florence and Livorno. She also apprenticed in wood and copper engraving while learning modern acrylic and airbrush techniques. In Paris in 1975, she studied lithography alongside artists Brayer, Corneille and Lapique. The following year, she met Okamoto Taro, known as the Japanese Picasso, who taught her sand and sumi techniques. In 1981, she spent six months in Morocco working with Chabia, a poetess of the naive abstraction movement. She began creating serigraphs in the mid 1980s and continues to excel in this technique.
Le Kinff’s portrayal of women ranges from indescribable loneliness to silent power and elegance. She draws inspiration from Paul Gauguin, Pablo Picasso and Gustav Klimt, as well as the hidden sensuality of Braque, Matisse’s masterful drawing, Modigliani’s elegance and Egon Schiele’s precocious maturity. Represented by Park West Gallery, she works in her studio haven from early morning until evening, creating diverse subjects including musical scenes, intimate moments, elegantly dressed couples and circus performers.