Artist Statement
"Karen Lee Sobol’s work is an alarmingly beautiful cautionary tale. She interprets climate science to inspire a sense of connection and stewardship for us all."
—Childs Gallery
“Life is a beautiful place.” This vision motivates me and offers emotional and spiritual balance in an increasingly teetering world.
Each moment holds magic. Staying alert and daydreaming, planning and improvising, these are the ways my mind, heart, and spirit move. Five decades of meditation and swimming drive the rhythms and energies that power my brushstrokes.
My work interprets global environmental health and honors life on earth. The "Goddess" series embodies procreation, protection, and threat. The "Nobody’s Nomads" series depicts the escalating cascade of environmental refugees. The "20//20" series addresses our collective challenges as we navigate Covid’s uncharted territory. Having survived a personal health nightmare, I aim to help us face our fears, maneuver through them, and emerge intact.
Artist Biography
Artist, author, architect, and advocate, Karen Lee Sobol explores our spiritual and physical realms. In many media, her art celebrates nature and human nature. Her memoir—Twelve Weeks: An Artist's Story of Cancer, Healing, and Hope—helps save lives around the world. She illustrates her journey with her art.
An alumna of Harvard College and the Harvard Graduate School of Design, Karen Lee has exhibited at both. National venues including Boston, Miami, and Wyoming have featured her work. Abroad, her mixed media paintings and installations have intrigued viewers in London, Amsterdam, Cracow, and Tblisi.
An affiliated artist with the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Sobol engages in the worlds of global health and environmental science. Her service includes the New England Aquarium, Save Venice/Boston Chapter, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Harvard’s Center for Health and the Global Environment. She is a founding member of the Pleiades Network, a group of women committed to creating a more sustainable world.
Karen Lee Sobol's work can be viewed and collected via Childs Gallery.
