Karly Michelle Edgar
Karly is the director of Art & Alchemy Gallery & Studio. You can read more of her story here
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Karly began her visual art practice after completing a bachelors in theatre, when soon after graduating she was diagnosed with the chronic condition fibromyalgia which impacted her ability to work in the industry and to live life as she was used to. During this substantial change of pace, the visual arts and creativity became a place of rest, recovery and personal and spiritual expression.
Her first solo exhibition 'Pieces of Self: feelings of fibromyalgia' deeply reflected this coalescence of creativity, spiritual engagement and physical experience and she has continued working in this integrative space. She moves between mediums and materials with strong focus on abstract expressionism, to reflect the feelings she is trying to identify within herself and convey to others. Her work is a creative telling of her life story, a process which she now also teaches as a creative, mixed media approach to life storytelling.
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Artist statement
My art making process is personal, adaptable and experimental. Over the past 20 years, I have developed much of my creative and art making practices directly in response to my experience of chronic ill-health. I work very intuitively, using a range of materials and techniques to accommodate and reflect on my experiences of ill-health, spirituality, and understanding of my self in the world. Creativity and art making has become a way to help calm and moderate my inner and outer life and experiences, while also being a way to explore, express, unsettle, challenge and reflect on them.
My work encompasses simple, repetitive monochrome drawings, colourful abstractions, found objects, collage, natural items and textiles. My technique is highly experimental, and I will attempt to incorporate any medium, material and technique I think might be most expressive and appropriate, while also often working within the boundary of incorporating whatever I can easily and quickly get my hands on. While not traditionally autobiographical in form, thematically my work strongly reflects my life story.
I most appreciate art that invites repeated engagement, and viewers and participants who are willing to explore the impact of how their inner state impacts how they feel the experience of making and viewing art.
www.instagram.com/karlymichelle_e
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Below are some samples of her work and may not be currently on display.
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