ABOUT KLAUS
The Man behind the Art
by Ines Hanl
KLAUS P. KINAST is a bit of a Renaissance man, if you ask me. When I met him in the spring of 1990, he had just returned from living in Canada for twenty years. Born into a small farming community near Hanover, Germany, he showed artistic talent from a young age on, and apprenticed in his teens in store and merchandising design, applying his skills and talents in sculpting, painting, and drafting to the world of 3D storytelling. Klaus had always been eager to see the world, and was driven to expand his horizon physically, mentally, and intellectually. In 1969, he left a for him rather oppressive post-war Germany and immigrated to Canada, where he continued his studies of philosophy and anthropology, studied languages, and focused on a design profession. He returned to the Old Country just in time to witness the German re-unification in October 1989, and found employment with the famous year-round Christmas company Kaethe Wohlfarth in Rothenburg ob der Tauber as a merchandising specialist and a designer for the interiors of their many new theme stores.
A few years later he moved on to design the whimsical, animated, large scale travelling exhibits for the famous German plush toy company Steiff
( the world’s very first 'Teddy' Bear was developed by the Steiff company in 1903). This job was dear to Klaus's heart, as he was able to educate and inspire children and grown-ups alike through the fantasy worlds he created for the plush toys with the help of a talented team. As a spin-off of this work, Klaus later on continued to design the interiors of a number of specialty stores, including Teddyland and Teddys love Rothenburg.
Next on the agenda was a position as a designer for international theme parks. But the ‘Carni’ World was not quite to Klaus’ liking - honestly, he is too much of an intellectual to be comfortable with a world that often revolves around shooting at things - and when I finally finished my studies, we decided to move (back) to Victoria, BC, Canada in 2000.
( the world’s very first 'Teddy' Bear was developed by the Steiff company in 1903). This job was dear to Klaus's heart, as he was able to educate and inspire children and grown-ups alike through the fantasy worlds he created for the plush toys with the help of a talented team. As a spin-off of this work, Klaus later on continued to design the interiors of a number of specialty stores, including Teddyland and Teddys love Rothenburg.
Next on the agenda was a position as a designer for international theme parks. But the ‘Carni’ World was not quite to Klaus’ liking - honestly, he is too much of an intellectual to be comfortable with a world that often revolves around shooting at things - and when I finally finished my studies, we decided to move (back) to Victoria, BC, Canada in 2000.
Impressions from the Teddybear universe. All merchandisers, statues and costumes designed by Ines and Klaus.
The houses and towers are open in the back, and can be used as doll houses as well.
For more photos of more work by Klaus, check out the OTHER WORK section, where you will also find some of Klaus's paintings and illustrations.
In Victoria, Klaus and I established the award-winning residential design company THE SKY IS THE LIMIT DESIGN. (If you are curious, make sure to check out the portfolio at www.theskyisthelimitdesign.com.) At the same time, Klaus established himself as the creative head for CastArt Studios, where he designs and creates the original sculptures for their collection of cast stone products. His originals get processed, cast in concrete, and stained; and the collection sells all over North America. You might even own one or two of his pieces! He infuses his unique blend of historical and cultural knowledge, sharp wit, and love of critters and nature into the design of statuary as well as a variety of garden furniture, lanterns, planters, bird baths, and fountains. His series of heads, ranging from 8” to 48” in height, proved wildly popular. My personal favourites are his whimsical pieces, some of which are inspired by Pablo Picasso, like the long-necked lady and Hathi, the elephant, but I am sure there is something for everyone in the mix, so make sure to check out the CastArt website https://www.castartstudios.com/ !
In Victoria, Klaus and I established the award-winning residential design company THE SKY IS THE LIMIT DESIGN. (If you are curious, make sure to check out the portfolio at www.theskyisthelimitdesign.com.) At the same time, Klaus established himself as the creative head for CastArt Studios, where he designs and creates the original sculptures for their collection of cast stone products. His originals get processed, cast in concrete, and stained; and the collection sells all over North America. You might even own one or two of his pieces! He infuses his unique blend of historical and cultural knowledge, sharp wit, and love of critters and nature into the design of statuary as well as a variety of garden furniture, lanterns, planters, bird baths, and fountains. His series of heads, ranging from 8” to 48” in height, proved wildly popular. My personal favourites are his whimsical pieces, some of which are inspired by Pablo Picasso, like the long-necked lady and Hathi, the elephant, but I am sure there is something for everyone in the mix, so make sure to check out the CastArt website https://www.castartstudios.com/ !
just a few impressions from the HEADS series. The photo on the right is an original piece in the works in the shop.
Fast forward to 2010 - Klaus decided that despite all those creative outlets of sculpting, painting, and illustrating he still had not found quite the right medium to fully express himself. Born out of a desire to tell a bit of his life’s story to his estranged children from his first marriage (that is a tragedy we won’t go into at this point), he started to pen short stories about his endearing and honestly quite outrageous and somewhat hair-raising childhood adventures. Growing up during a unique time period shortly after WWII, children back then ‘profited’ from benign adult neglect due to society’s rebuilding efforts of a destroyed country. Of course, Klaus put his own spin on the concept of a ‘memoir’, and these short stories turned into what is dubbed ‘creative non fiction’ - a style of writing where an actual occurrence gets embellished with freely invented aspects. It makes it difficult to position such manuscripts in the market place, let me tell you that, but it makes for a great read!
At this point in time Klaus has published four short stories - you will find more about them in the BOOKS section of this website.
Please head over there for reading samples.
THE HILARITY OF DEATH is a heart warming compilation of the various times throughout his childhood when Klaus came in contact with the concept of Death. These are great and - as the title says - quite hilarious anecdotes, but not for the faint of heart! This short story is a great way to find out about old customs in Germany back in the 1950s. CONVERSING WITH WHITE NOSE is a recollection of an actual conversation Klaus had as a child with a slightly older girl, while both of them observed the going-ons at a funeral. The girl was of the opinion that people had to die because Eve took a bite off the apple in the Garden of Eden, and Klaus disputed that notion vehemently. The story is a recommended read for children who are inquisitive, and possibly even question the stories from the Bible. Klaus puts a very consolatory and philosophical spin on this discussion, and I am sure many of the sentiments will put a smile on your face. In its wise simplicity, it reminds me a bit of the teachings of the Little Prince. THE ADVENTURE OF THE PEREGRINE FALCON has more of a Huckleberry Finn flavour to it, and recounts lovingly life in the small village. It is filled with the sounds and smells of a farming community, from the delicious scents wafting out from the bakery to the fresh, earthy smell of a manure pile. Following the boy’s adventures all the way up a tall tree to rescue a falcon, you will also learn about the intricacies of playing marbles - it is quite a bit more complex than I ever imagined! THE AMAZING MAZE OF MIRRORS AND MYSTERIES is the most philosophical story of the collection. Based on a real life experience in a House of Mirrors at the Marksmen Festival in Hanover, Germany, Klaus used the concept of the distortions in the various mirrors to reflect on issues like wealth, greed, gluttony, bullying, and life shortly after WWII. I find this to be a great story to discuss with young humans!
There does exist a fifth short story, but I haven’t worked on that one to put it online yet, and I might keep it back to give out as a freebie at some point. It is called SEKHMET OF THE CARTOUCHE, and Klaus recalls the time when, as a young apprentice at the age of 16, he was deeply moved and inspired by a statue of the Egyptian goddess Sekhmet in a museum in Hildesheim. It’s the goddess that sports a lion’s head... In an imagined conversation between him and the statue he explores the concept of inspiration and time.
Klaus's latest completed work, A MAN OF SIX COUNTRIES, is the story of a man who lived in six countries without ever having left his hometown. This novel is a biography with additional autobiographic elements. When Klaus was about eight years old, he met a man who was in his nineties and who told Klaus his life’s story. Born in 1860, at the time of Napoleon III, the old man grew up in a time without cars, trains, planes, automobiles, TV, radio, and washing machines - you get the picture. He also lived his humble life through four different wars. Based on the original old man’s recollection, Klaus wrote a more elaborate account of a life at once remarkable and unremarkable. Back then, Klaus was torn from his age-appropriate immediacy and innocence by the old man’s stories, and he had to realize that history is in fact the lived and often heart-breaking experience of human beings. Juxtaposed to the old man’s experiences, we also learn more about the somewhat outrageous adventures of Klaus as a boy, and what it was like to live in a society trying to cope with the fall-out of a devastating war. If you want my personal opinion about this book - it is heartbreaking and soul warming, and a very sneaky history lesson at the same time! I am notoriously bad with historical facts, but Klaus manages to purvey very logically how and why wars happen without ever making it sound like a school lesson. If you are interested, or always wanted to learn more about European history, this is a great way to gather a bit more insight. It will even help you understand a bit better the dynamics which lead to the emergence of the Nazis and ultimately to WWII. I am still a bit sad about the ending, although it is perfect the way it is.
Finally, we come to Klaus’ big novel. It is kind of a psychological fantasy novel, and I have problems positioning it in a specific genre. The closest, I think, is what is called a Bildungsroman a la Thomas Mann’s Zauberberg (Magic Mountain). A Bildungsroman focuses on the psychological and moral growth of the protagonist, but in this case the ‘coming-of-age’ aspect relates to an adult protagonist, not to a child as per definition in Wikipedia. This novel will take a while to get ready to be published online, but I will put some teasers out every once in a while over the next few months. In the meantime, have a look below, where I pasted my blurb and a synopsis. Let me know in case you are eager to read it!
WHENCE CAME THE STONE-EYED GODS
What if an infinite number of universes lies just beyond the thin, distorted membrane of our narrowly defined existence? What if reality exists only in dreams?
WHENCE CAME THE STONE-EYED GODS raises philosophical and spiritual questions about the purpose of one’s existence amidst a rather straightforward plot: Without remembering any of it, a man travels to a remote place in Sweden twice, where he meets a mysterious girl and has various outer-worldly experiences. A substantial part of the novel evolves through digressions, dreams, and stream of consciousness.
That’s a very brief and rather tongue-in-cheek type elevator pitch. Read on for a bit more:
After receiving an arcane message, a man travels to Lulea, a town in the north of Sweden. On his journey his path crosses with several enigmatic individuals, and he ends up in a deserted village not found on any map. There he encounters Inga, a mysterious young woman who introduces him to the secrets beyond time and confronts him with humanity’s darkest deeds.
The story’s somewhat surreal, often dreamlike quality combines the dark premise of mankind’s future kin (a distant nod to the Morlocks in H.G. Wells’ Time Machine, taken to their final stage in existence) with the kind of everyday magic which is woven into the very fabric of our universe. Blending historical figures and events with elements of ancient folklore and mythology, the novel considers the existence of realities beyond our current level of comprehension.
Thank you for being with me for such a lengthy introduction! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to e-mail me at info@klauspkinast.com .
Klaus is not really an online person, so, if you want to hear anything from him, it will have to go through me. Klaus rather writes his novels, or studies Latin, French, or Spanish on Duolingo. But I am sure he would be thrilled to hear your feedback!
All the very best. Written during the times of the Corona Virus in 2020, therefore - Stay safe, stay calm, be healthy!
Ines
After thirty years together, Ines is still thrilled every morning to find out what life with Klaus will surprise her with that day.
Copyright © 2020 Klaus Kinast & Ines Hanl
The contents of this website are under copyright protection. No part of any book or artwork on this site may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
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The contents of this website are under copyright protection. No part of any book or artwork on this site may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
All rights reserved