Kalan Strauss (b. 1996, Los Angeles, USA) holds a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Growing up in Los Angeles and experiencing his father's professional involvement as an actor, Strauss became aware of the construction of representational imagery, and the extreme amount of editing, post-processing and visual effects that goes into these falsified scenarios that are presented to us as entertainment. Many of the formal qualities of Strauss’s work revolve around questioning, revealing, mimicing and critiquing this construction of representational imagery, specifically the visual experience.

His work centers around the theme of nostalgia, perceptual experiences and bringing together people in an emotional and intellectual journey. Strauss’s goal is to create thought-provoking pieces that explore the complexities of the human experience, specifically the memories and emotions that shape our lives, and to highlight the sensory experiences we often overlook in our mundane daily lives. The themes of identity, memory, and the human condition are recurrent in the artist’s work and they strive to create a sense of intimacy and vulnerability in their pieces. Strauss aims to connect with viewers on a deeper level, provoke a sense of self-reflection and empathy, as well as to bring people together to share a collective nostalgic experience.