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Dennis Lee Mitchell was born in Larned, Kansas, where he spent much of his childhood exploring the outdoors. He received his B.A. from Kansas State University and an M.F.A in ceramics from Arizona State University. He is the recipient of two National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships, a Pollock/Krasner Foundation Grant and a grant from the Illinois Arts Council. Mitchell participated in the Art in Embassy program, selected by the U.S. State Department to be a guest artist in Turkey. His work is held in numerous museums, private and public collections and he holds a Master of Fine Arts from Arizona State University.

Mitchell created the process of drawing with smoke by chance nearly a decade ago and shifted his focus from ceramics to explore this medium. By employing smoke as a drawing tool, delicately applying carbon soot to the surface of paper, the resulting works evoke natural forms where his imagery remains abstract, striking a balance between the representational and the ephemeral.

VIEW: Dennis Lee Mitchell - “Through An Open Flame”

Image: Dennis Lee Mitchell - "Portugal Series 15", 2024, smoke on paper, 41½ x 41½ in. (framed)