Reverence by Karen Chappelow

Artist Statement

This is the title of one of my favourite songs from the band Faithless.. for me the words are powerful, I have included the sentence…’you don’t need eyes to see you need vision’… this sentence for me is one of the most powerful lines in the song-and it’s a punchy song.

About the Artist

Karen’s style is expressionism-distortion, inspired by artists such as Egon Schiele, Gustav Klimt, Modigliani and Picasso. She has collectors locally, nationally, and internationally over her 20-year art career.

Expressionism isn’t for everyone and I enjoy the quirky, unusual and weirdness of life which I think you can see in my work.  In my early years I was a punk and that mentality still sits with me the non-conformity etc. I want to make people talk, sometimes shock but mostly smile and laugh when they view my work.  You won’t find me painting landscapes I need to have an opinion. 

This drive for bucking the system stems from her love of punk music and her thirst for the unusual, which in turn creates disruption and gives people the invitation to view life through a different lens. She leaves stories half told on a canvas to make an impression and invite the observer to create their own story about what they see.

Resume and article