Karen V. Neems

Karen is a collector of images, mining them for unexpected combinations. The framework for her compositions is layered, merged and repeated. In her photo collages, light and shadow draw the viewer in while another image floats on the surface; the elements have a certain familiarity, but the space remains a mystery, creating a visual puzzle. Whether looking through the viewfinder of the camera, creating collages digitally or manipulating materials, Karen is drawn to the aspects that contain and formalize a space. In this cacophonous world where we are constantly bombarded by raw imagery, Karen aims to create harmony within her work.

Based in Stamford, CT, Karen earned her BA at the University of Rochester with studies in Art History, Psychology and Studio Art. She has had solo shows at Silvermine Arts Center, New Canaan, CT, Westport Arts Center, Westport, CT (with her Unmade Bed Series), the Loft Artist’s Association Gallery, and the Mamaroneck Artists Guild in Larchmont, NY. Her work has also been included in many selective exhibitions, juried by curators from major museums; among them, the Faber Birren National Color Award Show, the Images show at the Fairfield Museum, CameraWorks at the Ridgefield Guild of Artists, Art of the Northeast and other exhibitions at the Silvermine Artists Guild, the Flinn Gallery and University of Connecticut. She has won numerous awards for her work in photography and mixed media, and is also a member of the Silvermine Guild of Artists and Pound Ridge Artists Guild.