"All of my artistic endeavors in paint, sound, and lyrical content are approached with a healthy, well-developed sense of humor and irony.

"My creations are always based on ceremony, duality, ache and longing, yet I refuse to take myself too seriously. After all, this has to be fun! However, I'm always trying to process my own issues when I paint, and these issues are universal. How can I be more patient? How can I age gracefully? How can I lose my fears? How can I banish my ego? How can I truly connect with the universe? How can I cultivate compassion for everyone I encounter? How can I achieve intimacy without sabotaging it? And damnit, how can I lose my attachment to the illusion that romantic love is the ultimate answer to whatever ails me?

"It's about the search for freedom, and learning to be more comfortable with my own flawed humanity. I have found that transferring these questions into paint is a form of therapeutic meditation, a way to break down the walls of isolation, a way to revolt against a conformist robotoid media that subliminally tries to tell me that I am a marginalized woman. Satirical dissent in my art is a safe natural way for me to protect myself from Groupthink and all of the toxic elements in this culture that want to prevent me from me.

"Have I contradicted myself yet?"

At left: Seven oil paintings on paper by Karen Houser. "Pig in Heat" was shown in the Spring 2004 Galeria ARTopia show, "Primarily Paper."

• "Pig in Heat"
• "Amazon"
• "Conspiracy"
• "Jack of All Trades"
• "Sheep"
• "Void"
• "Ying-Yang"

Back to Artist Profiles