To begin each painting, Karin Waskiewicz manipulates hundreds of paint samples to create a schematic plan for each thick layer of acrylic color and the order in which they should be applied. This methodical application then opens anew in the next phase of her process, where she intuitively carves and chips away the surface, revealing layers and hidden images underneath. She then reapplies layers of new paint and fallen chips, and works the surface again, and again, until she finds a resolution. Her practice is much like that of an archeologist, excavating the surfaces of her paintings to expose fragments of experience. The result is a topographical space, recently furthered by a new focus on vertical lines. The surface qualities and colors change slightly as they’re seen from different viewpoints. This enables her work to take on a similar characteristic of an experienced landscape, changing as we move through it. Moreover, the unique peaks and valleys of each piece reflect her personal experiences and memories, frequently hinted at in her titles with references to specific locations or instances in nature.
Karin Waskiewicz (b. 1988) was born in Eerie, Pennsylvania. She received her Bachelor of Fine Art from Kent State University and her Master of Arts and Master of Fine Arts from University of Iowa. She has had solo shows at Darci Gallery, NY (2016), Levitt Gallery, Iowa City, IA (2014) and Margaret Thatcher Projects, NY (2013). She has received awards from the NARS Foundation (2015) and her work has been included in collections and exhibitions across the country. Her work was highlighted in many notable online publications, including Design Milk and Beautiful Decay. She currently lives and works in Brooklyn, NY.
CV
EDUCATION: 2014 - Master of Fine Art UNIVERSITY OF IOWA, Iowa City, IA - Painting 2013 - Master of Arts, UNIVERSITY OF IOWA, Iowa City, IA - Painting 2010 - Bachelor of Fine Arts KENT STATE UNIVERSITY, Kent, OH - Painting, Minor Art History 2008 - Studio Arts Center International Florence (SACI), Florence, Italy
EXHIBITIONS:
2017 Topographies: Jemila MacEwan and Karin Waskiewicz, Victori + Mo, New York City, NY -curated by Alixandra Hornyan for AH Arts
2016 "Pentimento", Darci Gallery, New York, NY - solo exhibition
2015 The Gam #4, NARS Gallery, Brooklyn, NY Professor Picks, Cinnabar Art Gallery, San Antonio, TX Lilac Steam Boat Show, New York, NY Kent State Benefit, Cleveland, OH
2014 I Grew Up Thinking Hills Were Mountains”, Levitt Gallery, Iowa City, IA - solo exhibition Winter Show, Trestle Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2013 Selected Works, Margaret Thatcher Projects, New York, NY – solo exhibition “Party Lines”, New York Studio Gallery, New York, NY S“Catch As Catch Can,” Margaret Thatcher Projects, New York, NY
2012 “R.E.S.P.E.C.T.,” Peter Paul Luce Gallery, Cornell College, Mount Vernon, IA PULSE Miami, Schroeder Romero, Miami FL Houston Fine Art Fair, Schroeder Romero, Miami, FL “BEDNAREK-OPPERMANN-WASKIEWICZ,” Schroeder Romero and Shredder, New York, NY Momenta Benefit, Momenta Art, Brooklyn, NY
2011 PULSE Miami, Schroeder Romero and Shredder, Miami FL Spring Show, Erie Art Museum, Erie PA
2010 UFresh Art Show, Summit Art Space Annual, Akron, OH
ACHIEVEMENTS:
2015 NARS Foundation Residency, Brooklyn, NY
2014 Teaching Assistantship & Fellowship - UNIVERSITY OF IOWA
2013 Mildred Pelzer Lynch Fellowship - UNIVERSITY OF IOWA
2011 Iowa Arts Fellowship – UNIVERSITY OF IOWA - till 2014
