Kris Stokes is a graphite artist based in Belper, Derbyshire, creating highly detailed monochrome drawings that explore character and narrative through subtly displaced, quietly surreal moments. Her work balances close observation with imaginative alteration, allowing familiar moments to take on a subtle sense of strangeness.

Born in Derby, Kris began her creative career as a graphic designer before working as an art director in London. Design sharpened her understanding of composition, white space, and visual clarity — principles that continue to inform her drawing practice today.

After stepping away from the design industry, she spent several years working outside the creative field before returning to art with renewed focus and determination. This shift brought a deeper appreciation for the discipline and patience required to build a sustainable artistic practice. Choosing to specialise in graphite, she developed her drawing style independently, refining a precise and considered approach to mark-making through light, shadow, and texture.

Character and narrative sit at the centre of her work. Through carefully constructed compositions, Kris places her subjects within subtly altered everyday moments, creating images that imply a story without fully defining it. Working exclusively in black and white, she embraces the restraint and quiet strength of monochrome, allowing detail, texture, and atmosphere to take precedence over spectacle.

She has recently exhibited at The Old Lock Up Gallery in Cromford, Derbyshire, and is currently focused on expanding her portfolio and submitting work to national open calls.

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CHARACTER AND NARRATIVE SIT AT THE CENTRE OF HER WORK