About Our Art...
Ken Kashian is a professional photographer based in central Illinois. In 2015, he retired as Director of Photographic Services for the Illinois Farm Bureau. During his 33-year career he traveled thousands of miles photographing the people and landscapes of rural Illinois. Exhibitions of his work include: DETAILS, Architectural Details of Downtown Bloomington and its Surrounding Areas; Along The Mackinaw River; and In The Eye of the Hurricane (rural damage resulting from hurricanes Katrina and Rita). His book, Along The Mackinaw pairs his photographs with poems from 13 poets.
He has produced five handmade artist books: Panoramic Tree Portraits, 2018, This Moment…in Sarah’s Garden, 2019, and Themes & Variations, 2021, A,E,I,O,U, and Sometimes Y , 2025 (a collaboration with his son, Nicholas). His newest artist book, Fugue, The Weston Cemetery Prairie Nature Preserve documents the progression of native wildflowers existing in a small, rural cemetery that is also a virgin, never-plowed prairie. For two years, from May through November, he visited the cemetery every two weeks to capture the newly emerging parade of flowers (more than 70 variates) to find their moment to create a colorful display among the gravesites. It also includes poems by Kathleen Kirk. He is working on a series of handmade “tunnel” books of various themes which will be produced later this year.
This series of botanical photographs represent flowers found in his and his wife, Carol’s, home garden. There are also photographs from The Weston Cemetery project.
His work can be seen locally at the Beluga Gallery and Gallery 404.
Ken's photographs will be displayed at the IAA Credit Union main lobby at 808 IAA Drive, Bloomington, IL during the months of April, May, and June 2026.
