Karen Searle
Biography/Contact
Artworks shown are one-of-a-kind. Please
contact the artist regarding availability of works for purchase, commission,
or exhibition; or regarding artist lectures and workshops.
Contact
Bio
Karen Searle (MFA Minneapolis College of Art & Design 1999) is a sculptor
in fiber and mixed media. Her works have been exhibited in the US, Canada,
Australia, New Zealand, and Korea. She presents classes, lectures, and
seminars internationally, and has served as a juror of numerous exhibitions,
including the International Textile Design Competition, Daegu, Korea, in 1997
and 2000. She has served as a mentor to emerging artists through the
Mentor/Protégée Program of the Women's Art Registry of Minnesota (WARM) since
1991. A former editor and publisher in the arts field, she continues to write
for arts-related publications.
Artist's Statement
I utilize the techniques of "women's work" to present the feminine view.
My imagery is inspired by womens' lives and womens' bodies, and by the
feminine impulse to nurture. My sense of humor enters into the creation
process and becomes integral to many of the pieces. I think of my wire
sculptures as 3-dimensional line drawings in space. The line and movement of
the object and its shadow suggest the energy of a human presence. I think of
my work with birch bark and other natural materials as a metaphor for womens'
work and women's lives: all involve scavenging, mending, piecing-together, and
adorning.