Biography

Lucy Kienitz Spence was born in Payson, Arizona, United States of America (1957). She now lives and works in Columbia, South Carolina, United States of America. She travels regularly to Japan, where she practices the Japanese art of ikebana. Kienitz Spence's paintings depict meditative third spaces in which she seeks to disrupt boundaries of time and cultures. In these works, nature coexists with human-made objects depicted through impressionistic and abstracted elements. She uses both water-based and oil paints on surfaces including watercolor paper, yupo paper mounted on board, and stretched canvas.

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The artist launched her career with "Garden Impressions" at Jasper Galleries (2025), creating impressionistic oil paintings that drew on memories growing up near flower fields owned by Japanese Americans. The second series, "Pilgrimage" (2025) explored Japanese mark making and abstraction. The paintings were made during and after an extended pilgrimage to 34 temples in the Chichibu area, north of Tokyo.

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Kienitz Spence has exhibited her work at Art Can Change the World, Charlotte Studio Artists, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Celebrate Art Juried Show, Hendersonville, North Carolina, USA;  Charleston Artists Guild Juried Signature Show, Charleston, South Carolina, USA; Arts Council of York County 36th Annual Juried Competition, Rock Hill, South Carolina, USA; Jasper Gallery, Columbia, South Carolina, USA; and other local venues. Her works are included in various private collections.