| Karen Tabak grew up in South Africa, where she immersed herself in the vibrant sights, sounds and smells of that dynamic environment. She travelled extensively throughout the African continent, and these experiences formed the foundations of her perception. In 1997 she migrated to Australia, experiencing a sense of dislocation as well as liberation, feelings that are reflected deeply in her art. In her new homeland Karen has walked extensively through natural bushland and formed a bond with the Australian landscape. Her recent series of paintings are strongly inspired by nature, particularly after early trips to Bundanon and Hill End on artists’ retreats and later walking the Overland Track in Tasmania.
Over the years Karen’s work has evolved through phases, from more realistic to abstracted, as her emotional input to the works has matured. Texture plays a large part in her paintings, not only in the preparation of the canvas but also during the process of painting. Her technique includes the application of layers, including gesso, acrylic and oilglaze to create luminescent abstractions that reflect memory and emotion. Her colour palette is primarily the warm, earthy tones of ochres, browns, reds and oranges.
Her abstract landscapes focus on nature without human interference. It is an idyllic world devoid of people. Paint is applied with brush and palette knife and is sometimes allowed to do its own thing – drip down by the force of gravity – though mostly the paint is skillfully controlled to render the broad strokes of a mountain and the intimate small details of the vegetation that inhabits it.
Karen has always been driven to paint and is inspired by the mood and atmosphere created by artists such as Turner. She holds formal qualifications in both Graphic Design and Interior Design from South Africa and has established a highly successful Interior Design business in Sydney, with a career spanning more than two decades.
In recent years, Karen has produced numerous commissioned paintings for clients. Her work now hangs in a number of private collections in South Africa, Australia and the United States. |
