Inside The Studio With Texas-Based Muralist Kyle Steed

If you live in Dallas, you’ve probably seen artist Kyle Steed’s work, even if you’ve never visited one of his exhibits. A self-taught painter who works as both a fine artist and commercial muralist, Steed has created colorful, large-scale murals for some of the hottest companies in Texas and beyond. The works’ clean, high-contrast forms hint at Steed’s early career as a graphic designer before heeding the call to pursue a more creative path in 2014. As Steed’s portfolio as a muralist blossomed, he found himself wanting to compose art just for himself. “I owe my painting to the murals,” he shares. “That sense of holding a brush and playing with color, the tactile feeling of watching something come to life in front of me—that compelled me to go into the studio to see what I could make in my own voice.” Dividing his time between murals and painting is a “dream realized” for Steed, but his art has also served as a point of therapy. Alongside the increased introspection, the forms in his painting—hands, eyes, faces—have become clearer and less abstract. “These newer works are more of an embodiment of me,” he reflects.