Kari Djuve

Painting serves as a reflective and restorative practice for me. Through my art, I process my experiences in the natural world and in human relationships, aiming to uncover underlying patterns, desires, and motivations. The work is both imaginative and meditative, with the methodical repetition in my mark-making assisting me in accessing profound emotions with a sense of calm curiosity. My intention is to convey universal themes such as longing, loss, hope and spiritual inquiry.

I’m drawn to contemplative practices such as yoga, mindfulness and therapy as tools for understanding the vastness of lived experience. Buddhist meditation in particular has taught me patience and resilience in working with the challenges of a restless mind, and also revealed a tendency to retreat into the comfort of my imagination instead of facing fear and uncertainty with courage. The layers of protection I create in my mind can be helpful boundaries, or elaborate blinders to the urgent call of the world for fierce action against oppressive forces that threaten free expression and human thriving. These abstract paintings explore the push-pull of a desire to protect my innate optimism and hope without escaping into fantasy. I hope to cultivate beauty while remaining connected to the gritty responsibilities of life and service to a greater good.