Karen Silve at the Venice 2024 Art Biennial - Personal Structures

I am thrilled to be a part of this exhibition in Venice! My work will be on the 1st floor of Palazzo Mora with a special opening on Friday November 19th. See more to give you a better understanding of the importance of this exhibition.

France to Venice — so much to share!
I'm excited to share with you that I have embarked on an artistic pilgrimage to France for nine months! France and Europe have long captivated my inspiration, ever since I went to art school here as a young student. Now I have the opportunity to immerse myself fully in their rich cultural tapestry. I arrived in February and soon after went to Venice for the installation of my work for the biennial exhibition "Personal Structures".

Reflecting - Winter Solstice

Wishing you and your loved ones a very warm holiday! And to embrace the darkness and the light to come on this winter solstice.

NEW WORKS — KAREN SILVE

I'm excited to share with you these two new paintings inspired by my travels in Italy and France. They are on their way to the Madison Gallery in California. I've also included a commissioned artwork I finished at the end of last year for a Miami client. Plus, my solo exhibition at the Calloway Fine Art & Consulting Gallery in Georgetown going on right now!

I am very honored to have my artwork in this incredible Ferry! Brittany Ferries latest ship, Salamanca, promises a smooth and quiet voyage with lower emissions being their first to use LNG (liquefied natural gas). The Ferry goes from Portsmouth UK to Bilbao Spain. On the interior, the design team wanted to embody the sights, sounds and tastes of the region she will serve giving passengers an experience of their destination from the moment they step on board. From delicious food and comfortable cabins, to fine art. I’m honored they chose my large paintings to be featured in the main atrium which embodies the spirit of the city of Salamanca, and Spain in general. My smaller works are also featured in the Portside Forward Lounge. I am thrilled!

When I thought it couldn’t get worse… it did. Portland suffered from a lot of destruction downtown and nationalized riots. Then the wild fires came and Portland was under smoke for a couple of weeks. I couldn’t see my neighbor’s house and the smoke leaked into my old 1911 house. All of the sudden seeing any friends, indoor or out, was impossible. I closed off my house and stayed in one room with my studio air cleaner. A continuous claustrophobia overwhelmed me. I felt like I couldn’t breath.

June 2020 - COVID has changed us forever and interrupted our lives. Uncertainty is something we live with now. However, some of these changes brings us more strength.

Life changes create new ideas and new work. I had a lot of life changes in 2018. These works reflect those changes. I decided to share the process I went through to develop this highly personal body of work. They will be exhibited in Washington DC at Susan Calloway Fine Art in Georgetown. Opening Reception is May 4th.

In France this past summer, I experienced flying in an two person airplane. When my family friend invited me up, I said “yes” without hesitation, but knew I was going to have to face my fears since I’m claustrophobic.

Facing my fears was something I was going through in my own personal life. After a break up with a life partner and living in France in which I struggled communicating, I had a weight in my gut every morning that I didn’t know how to get rid of. These insecurities slowly tore away at me. I felt beholden to my own fears.

I finally have my own french kitchen. The large doors in my studio apartment open up to the wheat fields in the countryside at the base of the Alps. It’s quite beautiful.

After 4 weeks of french language school then traveling to Paris, some artworks really stood out.

Traveling and the unique experiences it brings has become my greatest artistic inspiration. I went to Beijing for the first time in the Spring of 2016. I had never been to China before and wanted to experience it with fresh eyes.

A few days into the trip, I realized I was repeatedly inspired by the thoughtfully pruned trees. The blossoming cherry trees had their own vibrant beauty. However, it wasn’t just the cherry trees, but every tree throughout the city. From the parks, temples, gardens, and along the streets, all of the trees demanded respect. Many of them were just starting to leaf out which allowed me to see the structure of the trees. Such care was taken with each tree, and the older trees were well supported. In the Imperial Garden of the Forbidden City, there was a very old tree with a huge steel frame around the trunk holding up the heavy branches. In the Botanical Gardens there was a 3,000 year old tree with it’s large branches supported by other trees which had been grown to hold them up.