About
Karen Stewart (B. 1970, South Africa) is an multi media artist and curator. She creates non-representational paper paintings by tearing and drawing into the artworks to create a layered and rich surface and she sculpts in clay, a magical material that connects her to the earth. She is interested in exploring what heals us, especially in our chaotic world. She has wanted to be an artist since she was seven, and made art at an oil painter's house. She studied at Stellenbosch and specialised in botanical art. She is fascinated by the relationship between art and science and her thesis was an in depth look at how the colonial plant collectors both used indigenous knowledge to discover new plants but also sytematically suppressed this knowledge. She is still passionate about botanical art. She loves working collaboratively and has produced collections with photographers Ed Suter and Karina Turok and clay artist Abongile Ntsane.Her work seeks to uncover the hidden, embrace the magical and find wonder in the small things.
She obtained a Masters of Fine Art in Illustration from the University of Stellenbosch. Her work has been featured in Art South Africa, Creative Feel, Design News, VISI, Habitat and Garden and Home. She received an honourable mention at the Volskas Atelier Awards. Her work was exhibited at Turbine Art Fair in Johannesburg (2019) and the Lagos Bienniale (2019). She has exhibited in numerous solo and group shows in Johannesburg, Lagos, Helsinki and Cape Town and her work is included in prestigious private and corporate collections.
Work on show
To buy work email me and I will send you a catalogue: artypty@gmail.com or call 072 719 6136Portrait: Yasser Booley