Erin Eitter Kono (b. 1973, Oshkosh, WI) is a self-taught painter based in both Los Angeles, CA, and Dubuque, IA. Descended from frontier settlers and raised in Iowa’s Driftless Region, Kono uses the ancient technique of egg tempera to investigate how memory, land, and culture intersect. Her work explores the layered histories of American mythology, particularly the cultural legacies of Manifest Destiny and westward expansion. Working with materials such as silverpoint and natural pigments sourced from historically significant sites, Kono’s paintings invite viewers to look beneath familiar narratives and consider the quieter truths embedded in place.

Kono studied art history at the University of Iowa and the University of Hull (UK), and trained in traditional egg tempera under artist Koo Schadler. Her work has been exhibited internationally, including solo exhibitions at the Dubuque Museum of Art, La Luz de Jesus (Los Angeles), and Gallery 825 (Los Angeles), with an upcoming solo show curated by The Wassaic Project at Troutbeck (Amenia, NY). She has participated in group exhibitions at venues such as Future Fair (NYC), Bergdorf Goodman (NYC), FORMah (NYC -now Kaliner), and Beinart Gallery (Melbourne, Australia). Her paintings have been featured in Beautiful Bizarre Magazine, American Art Collector, Juxtapoz, and Arts to Hearts Magazine.

Prior to focusing on fine art, Kono was an award-winning author and illustrator with over a dozen children’s books published by major trade houses. Her illustration work is held in the collection of the Mazza Museum (Findlay, OH).