KX2
Ruth Avra and Dana Kleinman are the two sisters behind KX2, who have built sculpture together since 2007. From across a room, their work reads as bold geometry. Step closer and the surface opens up into sanded metal and layered paint.
Two Sisters, One Studio Practice
Avra and Kleinman started working as a team in 2007. Both live in Florida with their families. They describe their work as sculpture that merges metal and painting, built around geometry, symmetry, and connection. The aim, in their words, is a moment of pause for the viewer.
Metal Meets Paint
KX2 works at the line between sculpture and painting. A piece may begin as polished stainless steel, aluminum, or repurposed industrial pipe. Paint, enamel, and mixed media then go on in layers.
Here is what to look for up close:
- Hand-sanded metal that catches light differently across the surface
- Layered color that builds depth
- Forms drawn from the movement of water and organic systems
They also work with sustainability in mind. Their 1stDibs profile notes up to 50 percent recycled metals and recycled canvas.
Sand Key
Sand Key is a wall sculpture of five round pipe ends set in a single line, about six feet across. Each one has a soft gold rim and holds a deep well of thick, swirled paint. The color moves from dark teal to turquoise to pale aqua, then shifts to warm stone and cream.
Read left to right, the row feels like a shoreline in slow motion. Deep water gives way to shallows, then to dry sand. The paint is built up in ridges and curls, so each circle has its own current, and the shadows on the wall add a second layer of movement.
Pipe, Water, and Place
KX2 builds much of its recent work from repurposed industrial pipe. Their research follows climate and water infrastructure, and the work looks at how people and nature share a fragile balance. In their own phrasing, they reinterpret organic patterns and colors within formal contemporary sculpture.
The result reads two ways. At first it is color and form. With time, it raises questions about the systems that move water through our lives.
A Path From Florida to Beijing
In 2008, one year after the collaboration began, KX2 was invited to represent the United States at the Beijing Biennale at the National Art Museum of China. Since then their work has entered private, corporate, and public collections across North America.
Collecting KX2
A work like Sand Key suits a long wall: over a sofa, down a hallway, or across a dining room. The pieces can be read as one row or as five separate circles, and the color range pairs with both cool and warm interiors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is KX2? KX2 is the artistic collaboration of sisters Ruth Avra and Dana Kleinman. They began working together in 2007 and live in Florida. Their sculpture merges metal and painting.
What is KX2's Sand Key? Sand Key is a wall sculpture of five round pipe ends with gold rims, each filled with swirled paint that shifts from dark teal to cream.
What is Sand Key made of? It is soft gold powder-coated repurposed industrial pipe with acrylic and mixed media on wood.
What materials does KX2 use? KX2 works with polished stainless steel, aluminum, and repurposed industrial pipe, finished with acrylic, enamel, and mixed media. They also use recycled metals and canvas.
Did KX2 exhibit in Beijing? Yes. In 2008, KX2 was invited to represent the United States at the Beijing Biennale at the National Art Museum of China.
Where can I buy KX2 art? Contact Carousel Fine Art in Miami, West Palm Beach, Atlanta, or Chicago about available works.
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Sand Key, 2026
