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Westlake's Olympic torch-bearer enjoys renaissance lifestyle
Krause, a sculptor from Westlake Village who has lived in Guangzhou, China, since 1988, was nominated by the citizens of his province to carry the flaming Olympic symbol through Guang Dong. After the nomination, an Internet vote clinched the honor. "I do community art activities, like auction off my sculptures for certain charities and organize the Guangzhou Contemporary Art Fair each year," Krause said about being chosen as a torch carrier. Born in the "Year of the Dragon," Krause moved to Westlake Village from Chicago when he was 12. He was a member of Westlake High School's first freshman class and graduated in 1982. Krause, now 44, attended the University of California, San Diego, as a premed, microbiology major, but by the time he earned his degree, his interests had shifted back to sculpture, a passion he has cultivated since middle school. He completed a double major in visual arts and studio sculpture in 1987 and moved to China to earn a Master of Fine Arts in sculpture at the Guangzhou (Canton) Academy of Fine Arts. After college, Krause worked with the State Department in Guangzhou at the U.S. Consulate and as an art teacher at the American International School. He also owned and operated a house accessory products company until 2005. "I then started sculpting full time," said Krause, who also teaches as a visiting artist at the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts. "I teach using Mandarin Chinese to Chinese undergraduate art students," he said. As a citizen of both the U.S. and China, Krause enjoys the best of two worlds. "The best part about China is that I learn something new every day," he said. "(There is) never a dull moment. In Southern China, Guangzhou, there is a lot of energy in the local culture, and the society is very dynamic." The Chinese culture has influenced Krause's sculpture. "My work is all contemporary figurative made of casted bronze," he said. "I catch the energy of the opening up of China via its local Cantonese people. I also use Buddhist iconography and make very contemporary futurist, cubist figures." Another series, he said, incorporates the terra-cotta warriors from Xi'An, one of the ancient capitals of China. Although Krause and his two sons, Alex, 9, and Zach, 11, love life in China, they look forward to their twice yearly trips to America. "I like to spend my summers in America," Krause said. For their eightweek summer vacations, the Krause family alternates between taking road trips west of the Rockies with crosscountry trips to New York and back. The Krauses take their trips in a "classic old retro car"—a 1985 M5 BMW. It adds to the fun, Krause said. "I like to keep them totally in tune with America," Krause said. "I didn't leave (China) on purpose; (it's) something I always do." Besides coming home for summers, Krause and his boys return to the Conejo Valley every winter for four weeks during school holidays. As for missing the Olympics in his second homeland, Krause said his yearly ritual of visiting family in the Conejo Valley was more important than staying in China for the games. "I just didn't feel the urge," he said. While Krause is totally enmeshed in the Chinese culture, he admits that he misses the 20minute drives to Zuma Beach and the surfing trips he takes to the beaches of north San Diego County. In response to some media reports suggesting that the extra security in the communist nation has put a damper on the games, Krause said, "Having the Olympics held in Beijing is one of the major events of modern China. Nothing will make it lose its soul. "The Chinese people are very grateful and proud to be holding the Olympics," he said. "They will do their best to make a safe, enjoyable experience for everybody." To view Krause's artwork, visit www.dmkrause.com. |
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