About the Artist: Kyra Coates has painted since her fingers were big enough to grip a paintbrush. She was trained throughout her youth and went on to study at the Corcoran School of Art and the Maryland Institute; College of Art. She began showing her work professionally in 2001 with great success. However; after several years; the calling to explore the deeper aspects of mind and spirit was too strong to ignore. So in2005; she took a hiatus from the art world and went to live as a Hindu nun and dive into humanitarian service. After three years of monastic life; she continued her studies at Naropa University in Boulder; CO; where she combined Religious Studies and Psychology to understand the psychology of enlightenment in various religious traditions around the world; being driven by her ambitious pursuit of the truth of mind. She returned to the art world professionally in 2014 and now expresses her years of psychological and religious studies through her art. Kyra has exhibited in multiple gallery shows; publications; juried exhibitions; and has participated as a juror in art shows. She has won multiple grants and awards for her paintings. She is represented by several art galleries around the country. Kyra Coates had her first gallery show at the age of 17 after winning an art competition in graphic design. She began selling art full-time at the age of 21. By the age of 24; she'd had shown in over 50 juried exhibitions. In 2019; Kyra won the Martha Kate Thompson grant as well as the Bead On One String Connection Grant to complete the series titled "The Journey of the In-Between" with an accompanying novel. Through a very successful crowd-funding campaign she raised over $20;000 to complete this project. Kyra has had three solo gallery exhibitions within the past two years. Winning the All Abstract Art Competition through Contemporary Art Gallery Online has been her latest achievement; and she's honored to have come in 8th place.
Artist Statement: "I paint from my own experience of moving from early trauma in life into empowered womanhood. My story has been an all too common one of sexual abuse and rape in childhood; into awkward early adulthood filled with shame and denial; then finally; realization; empowerment; and freedom to embrace my feminine power and sexuality. After a profound spiritual awakening in my early twenties; I became a Hindu nun and lived a disciplined monastic life for three years. When I left my robes behind; I dove into sexual awakening; motherhood; and embracing my feminine strength. My eastern spiritual perspective and years of psychological study are reflected in my artwork. I depict psychologically emotional experiences of spiritual awakening and explorations of states of consciousness. I paint states of mind as abstract imagery and use figurative work to tell a story and connect to inspirational moments from my own life narrative. Through energetic and vividly colorful works; I hope to inspire that sense of empowerment and freedom in the viewer as an experience of emotional resonance." ~ Kyra Coates
 
Available for Purchase: The original; $700 as well as A Reproduction of the Original 16" x 20" Oil on a Canvas