Karin Krohne Kaufman Paintings & Drawings

Carl Jung famously said, “Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.”  Kaufman’s work is an exploration of the subconscious, a lucid depiction of her dreams in paint and colored pencil.  Rooted in nature, world religion and native philosophy, her work speaks universally through symbols and beauty.  Kaufman remarks “the act of creating is a pleasurable journey, like a ride on a river, never knowing what is coming ahead, enjoying what is happening at the moment.  It is a meditative process just as much as it is a spiritual journey for me. My intent is to create art that speaks to the soul of every person, that which is beyond words.”

These paintings and colored pencil drawings are exquisitely detailed, depicting young Asian women and capturing a fantasy-like image of nature and children. Like dreams, these artworks contain universal symbols which psychologist Carl Jung termed archetypes. Although Kaufman has personal interpretations of the artworks, she feels that the universal symbolism, which the artworks contain, give them a meaning which is unique for each individual.

Kaufman, primarily a self-taught artist, was born and raised in Milwaukee, WI. Her serious interest in art began at the age of four, when she found herself drawing whenever she had the chance. Through the 1970’s Kaufman independently developed her own style, primarily working with pen and ink, eventually switching to drawing with graphite in the late 1970’s. From 1980-1985 Kaufman attended the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee to obtain a degree in nursing, while also taking two semesters of Basic Drawing, and one semester of Life Drawing. During her years in college, she became familiar with psychologist Carl Jung’s work, specifically in the areas of archetypes and dream symbolism. She also studied world religions and took particular interest in Native American philosophy. These interests greatly influence Kaufman’s art. They are reflected in the universal symbols that she uses in her drawings, and indirectly her reverence for the earth. In 1989 Kaufman began to use colored pencils and has continued to use them up to the present.