Karla Leopold – Artist Statement
When I was in junior high, an art teacher told me that art wasn’t for me. I’ve been proving him wrong ever since!
As an artist, I work across a wide range of mediums: stone, found objects, paint, yarn, and just about anything that can be transformed into art. In life, too, I move between disciplines: art, psychology, and education.
A common thread in all my work is the exploration of psychological significances, emotions and beauty. I invite viewers and participants alike to look deeper into my creations and the stories they tell, to discover and apply what resonates most personally for the viewer. I am trained as an artist, teacher, art therapist, and family therapist. All these identities appear in my work. My creative process is a way of teaching, healing, explaining, and processing my own life experiences.
My artwork has been exhibited and archived Internationally. I am an award-winning member of the National Association of Women Artists, established in 1889. This amazing organization representing some of the world’s most accomplished women artists. I was honored with the Louis Harris Hammerschlag International Award for my stone sculpture among numerous other awards. My work is archived in institutions including the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Guggenheim and others.
In both my life and my art, I create with a commitment to go beyond myself in search of truth–what is known, what is hidden, and what remains to be discovered. I am always exploring love, pain, and mystery, striving to bring light to darkness.