Karen Nyholm

You could easily call Karen Nyholm's work "craft" and she probably wouldn't mind. The metaphor is readily apparent, but to use her work as a vessel, rendering it practical function, seems sacrilegious. A lamp-working practitioner, Karen's work skillfully portrays an aesthetic of delicacy and strength. How womanly, how feminine, how correct. This latest work, first shown at our COLD+HOT 2008 exhibition, consists of two bowl shapes, each rendered from a single translucent rich color - deep green and rich purple - that is blown, etched and placed in combination with a small group of lamp-worked flowers or a jungle animal found object. Visually enchanting, the work casts continuously changing shadows that reference Karen's love of nature and exploration of interior space.