NEWARTPROJECT Issue 8
Publication Date: May 2026
Pages 92-101
Karen Silve paints from an intuitive space—rooted in not knowing, yet guided by something deeply felt and undeniably real, where meaning reveals itself through painting.
Many of her works move between landscape and body, dissolving the boundary between the two. She places herself within the earth, sea, or sky—emerging, submerged, or suspended somewhere in between. Forms shift into soft, ambiguous shapes: fragments of the body that become terrain or landscapes that feel as internal as they do external.
In other works, the landscape itself becomes the focus. She is drawn to spaces that feel like refuge—quiet, secluded environments that offer protection, yet remain mutable and vulnerable. These spaces can be altered, interrupted, or erased in ways that feel both violent and familiar. The paintings exist within this tension, yet a trace of hope remains—an opening, a possibility of air, a chance for growth.
Rooted in both her French and American studios, her work is informed by the landscapes and experiences of the Pacific Northwest and the Provençal countryside, where shifts in light and terrain shape her visual language. As critic Peter Frank observes, “For all their brushy, dripping exuberance, Silve’s paintings are composed with an almost architectural rigor that emulates nature’s own glorious rhythms.” Her work has been exhibited internationally and recognized with prestigious residencies and grants.
Contact:
instagram: @karen_silve
—Curatory Magazine, Issue 18
Publication Date: August 2026
Page 138-143