Reg Kienast is a sculptor based in the Okanagan Valley who has lived a remarkably diverse life. In the 1960s, he set out on a three-year journey around the world, hitchhiking through 65 countries. He later wrote a manuscript about these travels, still awaiting publication. His journeys by land and sea brought him into contact with people across the social spectrum—from the poorest villagers to maharajas and kings. Along the way, he met many individuals who later came to work with him.
After returning to Canada, he became deeply involved in supporting people with mental health challenges, working in residential treatment centers, group homes, and wilderness camps. He used art-based activities to bring joy, build confidence, and open new ways of communicating with a world that had often been harsh to them.
In the 1970s, Reg moved to the Okanagan in British Columbia, where he began sculpting in stone and took up seasonal beekeeping. Beekeeping gave him time to focus on art and community projects during the autumn and winter months. Over time, he expanded his skills into painting and glasswork, though he now primarily works in wood. His sculptures have been exhibited in Seattle, Washington, and regularly across galleries in the Okanagan. His works are part of private collections in North America, Europe, and New Zealand. An engaged artist, Reg actively supports local cultural initiatives, and for him, the process of creation remains an essential part of life.
For the Ore Mountains, Reg—in the spirit of Karl May—wrote a new adventure story where good triumphs over evil, and he played the role of the mountain elder in a film directed by Calvin White. For the exhibitions, he created a series of sculptures that, with humorous exaggeration, explore philosophical questions and the existential struggle against fascism, xenophobia, and conspiracy theories.