Interview: Karin Christen

Luca Curci talks with Karin Christen during VENICE INTERNATIONAL ART FAIR – 25TH EDITION 2026, at Palazzo Albrizzi-Capello in Venice.

Being an artist is my life. It is who I am in my being, my thoughts, and my actions. Without creativity, I could not exist; it is the pulse of my life. Whether it’s a drawing or a knitted sweater, both are forms of artistic expression to me. Being human, being a woman, that is my theme. I work across various disciplines: from drawing to painting and object art, all the way to installations and performances. My creative process is a journey, a quest, a discovery, and an exploration. My themes reflect my immediate surroundings; they influence, move, inspire, and touch me. I want to capture moments, preserve fleeting instants, and render them in form and color.

Luca Curci – How did you get to your current artistic practice?
Karin Christen – It’s been a long, winding road to get to where I am now. For as far back as I can remember, I’ve been involved in art, it’s a way of life. For me, being an artist is a source of energy that I draw upon. As a curious person, I’ve always wanted to discover new things and keep growing. Staying focused and persistent is important to me. Art has a firm place in my everyday life. It’s part of who I am.

LC – What is art for you?
KC – For me, art is emotional. It touches something inside me. Art should inspire reflection, have the power to change perspectives, convey thoughts and feelings, and reinterpret them. It can transform our perception of life. This is an act of care and responsibility. Through my work, I want to invite viewers to pause, reflect, and encourage them to interpret the art for themselves.

LC – How is your creative process?
KC – My creative process is like a journey and a process of research, during which I discover and explore content, materials, and techniques. My works are developed from various themes. I don’t have a fixed concept in mind. Often, it’s a small thing, an image or a place, from which an idea takes shape. I follow this impulse. I begin to collect. I search for materials, textiles, images, photos, and texts. This gives rise to drawings and sketches. Using the collected material, I begin to compose, adding and removing elements, painting over them, and starting anew. It’s a process of feeling my way and experimenting with different techniques and materials. In the process, something unexpected often emerges, coincidences that I embrace and that may find their way into my next works.

LC – What are your thoughts while you create art? Do you have any habits or rituals while you work?
KC – It’s an intuitive process. My strength lies in experimental creation, that’s what I devote myself to. While I’m working, I often listen to a podcast or an audiobook. That helps me focus and dive into my own creative space. It’s important to me to have all my materials and paints around me so I can get started. I follow a certain direction and might discard it or paint over it. Often, something develops as I work; I see something unexpected and spin the thread further from there.

LC – How is being an artist nowadays?
KC – Despite the many new technical possibilities, being an artist certainly hasn’t gotten any easier. We’re undoubtedly heavily influenced by the multitude of media and the flood of images. This can help when bringing ideas and projects to life, but it can also be confusing and lead to getting lost in it all. On top of that, there’s social media. You’re constantly seeing what’s possible and comparing yourself to others. That can sometimes make it difficult to stay true to yourself and focus on what you want to express as an artist, to follow your own voice and your own talents.

LC – Is there an unrealised or unrealisable project, even a crazy one, that you would like to work on?
KC – Yes, that’s definitely something I’d like to do. Painting a large mural on the wall of a building, inside a house, or in a church would be a project that, while challenging, I’d love to take on. I don’t yet know what the painting will look like, but the motifs should be relevant to the location and the people there. It should appeal to people and inspire them. Another project that’s been on my mind for a long time would be a graphic novel that tells a personal story from an important time in my life.

LC – Which art themes do you pursue? What is your preferred subject, if there is any?
KC – The experience of being human and being a woman runs like a thread through my work. I will continue to explore this theme. Right now, it weighs heavily on me to witness so much violence against women, children, and minorities. Through my art, I want to give these issues a voice and treat people with respect. I want to open people’s eyes so they can see. It would be wonderful if, through my art, I could bring about change, reveal new perspectives, or simply inspire people to think.

LC – What’s your background? What is the experience that has influenced your work the most?
KC – I come from a working-class family where art wasn’t a job but a hobby and was therefore considered of little importance. To follow my passion, I had to be strong and stand my ground. Nevertheless, I’ve followed my own path right up to today. From an early age, I taught myself a lot and simply gave things a try. Today I know I have a gift, and I make the most of it. My in depth training has also helped me refine my perspective, observe, and simply experiment. Every project brought a new experience. I’m influenced by places, by people in everyday life, by their way of being, and by their sensitivity. That’s something I try to convey in my work. It was certainly a valuable experience when I was in Tangier, Morocco, and drew the market women on newspaper. My lines became more confident, the bodies and proportions came easily to me, and the next step was taken: I rendered human bodies using textiles. The thread and the fabric became my brush and paint.

LC – What are your suggestions about our services? Is there something more we can provide to artists?
KC – I don’t have much experience with ITSLIQUID yet, and I don’t have any specific suggestions at the moment. I think it’s great that you’re creating a platform for artists from all over the world that not only makes exhibitions possible but also offers a network and fosters connections with artists and curators. This gives artists greater visibility. I’m really looking forward to seeing the exhibition in Venice.

LC – Did you enjoy cooperating with us?
KC – Yes, Armaride was a very supportive contact person for me. She encouraged me to do this exhibition in Venice, which was very helpful and put my mind at ease.