Kristopher Kanaly (a.k.a. Pyramid Guy) is an artist and muralist from Oklahoma City. With an extensive family history in the arts hailing back to his great grandfather’s Colonial Art Gallery, established in 1919, Kanaly grew up in a family of artists, art collectors, art dealers, and graphic designers. This influence propelled him into a career in art and graphic design, with a heavy focus on street art and graffiti in his early years. Kanaly’s work has received popularity through multiple awards, publications, and books, as well as being licensed by national retailers like Vans and Warby Parker. His artwork is regularly on exhibit with various regional galleries, including numerous outdoor murals and “street art” applications across the U.S. and Canada.

Aside from design work, Kanaly’s art has received several notable commissions from The Portland Advertising Federation and Wieden+Kennedy/Portland in 2004 for an event with Blue Flame Marketing, Sean John Clothing, and Brand Jordan. In 2012, Kanaly was commissioned by The Womb Gallery to paint murals and assist with installations for various exhibitions, including international artists Dalek and Maya Hayuk. Kanaly’s art is also featured in “The Birth of Icons,” a book published by Vans, Inc., which included a run of 10 hand-painted shoes for display in Vans’ flagship stores throughout the US.

In the year 2015, his notable accomplishments reached a significant milestone when his contributions to the public art landscape of Oklahoma were acknowledged with publication by the esteemed Google Arts & Cultural Institute. Concurrently, during the same period, Kanaly embarked on an impactful journey as a co-founder of the widely acclaimed Plaza Walls mural project. Building on this momentum, the subsequent year saw the establishment of the Oklahoma Mural Syndicate (OMS), a nonprofit entity meticulously devoted to the advocacy, curation, and financial support of public art initiatives.

Kanaly's dedicated tenure as President of this nonprofit and his role as the lead director for the Plaza Walls mural undertaking spanning eight years have been instrumental in its ascension. The project has gracefully evolved into a preeminent Mural Festival in the United States, firmly cementing its position as one of the foremost outdoor mural galleries in the Lower Midwest.

A catalyst for artistic transformation, OMS has initiated an expansive footprint, encompassing multiple mural projects across the expanse of Oklahoma. Since its inception, this dynamic syndicate has propelled the creation of over a hundred murals annually, attesting to its resounding success as a creative driving force.

In 2017, Kanaly painted his largest mural to date, transforming a 10,000-square-foot underpass into a magical immersive art experience. Having painted every inch of the underpass, “Abstract Passages” is one of Oklahoma City’s most celebrated murals and was featured on the cover of the state’s travel magazine in 2022.

For these contributions, Kanaly was awarded “Artist of the Year” by the Paseo Arts District Association of Oklahoma City in 2018.

For more than ten years, Kanaly has embraced the moniker "Pyramid Guy" across social media platforms, a persona under which he channels his creative energy into the realm of street art and online digital creations. His artistic signature is often described as unique, giving rise to captivating realms known as the Galactic Adobes, all enveloped within the expansive tapestry of his iconic universe, aptly named the Galactiverse.

Kanaly's artistic expression can be characterized as an exploration of ultra-flat abstractions, where landscapes merge seamlessly with otherworldly concepts. His adeptness lies in the art of employing starkly contrasting colors, deftly assembling uncomplicated shapes into vistas that seem almost ethereal, inviting observers to take a digital step into these immersive domains.

CLIENT EXPERIENCE

Animal Planet – Package Design

Bob’s Red Mill – Advertising Art Direction/Package Design/Photography

EnLink Midstream – Art Director

Oklahoma Dept. of Commerce – Art Director

OKC Thunder – Art Director

Kroger -- Package Design — Photography Art Direction

The Daily Oklahoman — Interactive Art Director/Developer

Chesapeake Energy — Interactive Art Director

BYU — Interactive Art Director

Vans, Inc. — Illustrator/Artist

Portland Ad Federation  — Muralist

Portland AIGA  — Designer

Burnside East Business Association — Designer

City of Milwaukie, OR — Designer

The Womb Gallery — Muralist/Artist

USA Pear Association — Interactive Art Director/Developer/Graphic Designer

Southern Peanut Farmers Association — Interactive Art Director/Developer/Graphic Designer

US Apples Association — Interactive Art Director/Developer/Graphic Designer

National Cottonseed Products Association — Interactive Art Director/Developer/Graphic Designer