Artist Statement
This body of work illustrates how art reveals states of human emotions and can be used as a therapeutic process. The series of drawings guides you through emotional states we go through in times of transition. Our moods can go from anger, fear, and agitation to acceptance, peace and even happiness.
These drawings were inspired by photos I took on my trip to Italy, during a time when I was overcoming grief and loss. As my starting point, I used an image transferring technique to imprint the image onto drawing paper and further developed the drawing by adding lines and marks of charcoal, ink, and pastel. This technique allowed my emotional state to fully take residency in the drawing. The initial drawings were dark, fearful and intense. As I progressed, there was a shift; the drawings became clearer and calmer and in the end, the last drawings had a sense of both vibrancy and peace.
The drawings illustrate how our stages of grief evolve. Grief and confusion do subside and eventually we can receive acceptance and clarity. Art can be a way to cope, to process, and to counsel oneself.
About the Artist
Karen P. Nguyen is an emerging artist who currently resides in New Westminster, British Columbia.
Karen holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Simon Fraser University. With a background in psychology, her career as a psychometrist has exposed her to different people with various types of disorders and conditions. However, it wasn’t until she experienced loss in her own life that she began to explore art as a possible method of healing and personal development. Her work is inspired by the beauty and sorrow of life and with her artwork, she hopes to further explore the relationship between pain and personal growth.
Her new career path has led her to obtain a Diploma in Fine Arts from Langara College and in the upcoming Fall, she will be attending Emily Carr Art & University to pursue her degree in the Fine Arts.
