EMMY® AWARD WINNING American artist Karen Mosbacher is an abstract expressionist painter, known for the synesthetic qualities in her work. Growing up surrounded by the sounds of classical and jazz piano, and pursuing studies in classical dance and visual art, she developed an early dedication to personal creativity.
Karen currently shows at G44 Gallery, Kreuser Gallery in Colorado Springs, I.D.E.A. Gallery in Atlanta, JRB ART at the Elms Gallery in Oklahoma City, and Victoria at Home in Santa Fe. Mosbacher's focus is on oil and acrylic paints, mixed media on canvas and panel, encaustic painting on multiple substrates, sculpture, and installation work. She is also visiting faculty with Colorado College, where she teaches painting music and expression through color.
Recently, Mosbacher has been entered into The National Library of Israel, located in Jerusalem, which is dedicated to the preservation of Jewish culture, alongside Dr. Ofer Ben-Amots for her paintings of many of his compositions.
Mosbacher leads the Multae Manus (Many Hands) Collective mentoring new and emerging artists to elevate their own artwork. Mosbacher's upcoming works are collaborative in nature and will present throughout 2023 in varying cities. Her recent work is painting live with emerging and professional musical groups.
Before I Was Me, is Mosbacher's politically stoked cry for the halt of silent abusive relationships. Ms. Mosbacher began this body of work for herself, however quickly realizing it is for anyone who has been abused, criticized, or controlled so that they cannot be who they truly, beautifully, and deeply are. Her work for justice shows in Toronto, Canada, and the US. Beginning in 2018, the body of work, All.That.Jazz. was welcomed by her gallery in Lyon, France. All.That.Jazz. exemplifies her resonance with rhythm and color. She is also is collaborating with musician Jacob Clewell, classical and contemporary violinist and violist, and The Ezra Duo (Toronto, Canada), Jacob Clewell and Sasha Built-Ito, on Paint : Music, a project of painted synesthetic representations of selected classical and new music works.
Karen’s earlier projects included the Welcome Home series, and a series entitled The Enchanted Land, both depicting synesthetic visions of scenes and observations from Karen’s return to Santa Fe after spending two years in Atlanta. While in Atlanta, she was honored by a mentorship and residency with a well-known southern abstract expressionist, Clara Blalock, a student of Philip Guston. Ms. Mosbacher was awarded an extended residency in Orquevaux, France in 2019 and will complete a residency in Santa Fe, NM in 2024 with her encaustic mentor, Paula Roland.
Away from the studio, Karen has volunteered for the Fragile Kids Foundation, Atlanta, Gerard’s House, Santa Fe, and Santa Fe Pro Musica, and is a member of The National Museum of Women in the Arts, the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, and the Colorado Springs Fine Art Center. Karen served on Santa Fe Pro Musica’s Coda Circle Committee and Board of Directors, and the Graphic Artist’s Guild. She has also authored and illustrated Grief Exposed, a two-book series of Poetic Illustrations exploring the process of grief. She lives and works with her canine studio assistant, Ruby, in Colorado Springs, CO.