My work invites to reflect on what lies hidden deep within us and to lovingly embrace and care for it. The seriousness of what happens to us during life leaves traces in our gaze, our attitude, in our thinking. We often straighten our backs and all traces seem to have disappeared, sometimes they become scars. My work talks about that scars and injuries, doubts and insecurities, about undigested pain from our youth, from our parents or perhaps from generations before.

I build my work slowly and thoughtfully, layer by layer. I use a variety of techniques and angles, aged materials, colors, textures, scents and patterns. Everything becomes a means to communicate, share, and think about personal and general life questions. The result is a versatile and layered work that balances between the figurative and abstract, between complexity and simplicity.

I consciously avoid the gloomy; in the fragility and tenderness of my work, there is hope as well as fear and doubt;  it is about big feelings, sometimes shown small and craving for intimacy, sometimes overwhelmingly large, but always confrontational.

Karin Cleymaet