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Casey Kasparek is a multidisciplinary artist exploring presence and story through portraiture and abstraction. Born and raised in Swisher, Iowa, he grew up as the middle of three Gen-X brothers, spending summers playing home-run derby and running gravel roads.
After graduating from Prairie High School, he earned a dual degree in Studio Art and Graphic Design from Wartburg College. His artistic journey took him to Italy for a year, where he explored painting—often humorously recalling his “awful landscapes”—before returning to Iowa when funds ran low.
After eight years working alongside his father in the water-well industry—a job that supported his creative pursuits—Casey relocated to the Netherlands to paint full-time. Drawn by its vibrant café culture and artistic community, he found the experience deeply romantic and creatively fulfilling. However, the stress of living as an undocumented immigrant eventually led him back to the United States, and later to St. Louis.
In St. Louis, amid a tough economic climate, Casey adapted through various jobs before shifting fully into design and community engagement. He immersed himself in the local community, embracing volunteer work and Friendsgiving-style holidays.
Casey has branded James Beard-caliber restaurants and created live art for major clients like Cargill and Budweiser. Alongside these creative partnerships, his studio practice remains deeply personal and introspective. His current series, sisters, features bold portraits of women set against vivid color fields, their expressions playful, defiant, and self-assured. These works build on his earlier series, the kids, where curiosity and joy defined childhood.
In his abstractions, Kasparek turns to time itself as the subject—layering, scraping, and rebuilding paint until each surface becomes a record of endurance. The Forever Ago series, in particular, reveals painting as construction: each canvas a monument built over time, balancing presence with persistence.
Casey’s work is held in private collections across the Midwest, as well as in Europe and Asia. Through both portraiture and abstraction, his practice continues to explore the tension between memory and immediacy, inviting viewers into layered narratives of time and identity. Having come full circle, Casey has returned to Iowa, where he continues to develop his studio practice and connect with the local arts community—a place where history, presence, and creative energy shape his evolving body of work.
Notable Exhibitions & Projects:
“All the Things” – A solo exhibition at CSPS Hall in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, featuring three series: COrVID, Forever Ago, and The Kids.
Amsterdam Whitney Gallery, New York City – Participated in a group exhibition at this prestigious Chelsea gallery.
UNcover Show – Curated and launched a large-scale show in Cedar Rapids featuring 100 works by 30 artists from 14 states and 3 countries.
Heuer Publishing Collaboration – Created over 60 original artworks for theatrical playbills and productions.
Blend Restaurant Murals – Completed two six-by-twelve-foot oil paintings and nine additional abstract works for permanent display.
World Dairy Expo (Cargill Commission) – Produced unique artworks using livestock feed and additives as part of a live art installation.
