About
Biography
Born in Toronto, Karen Rieger grew up in an artistic environment. Her mother Charlotte was always engaged in creative projects around the home and her father Theodor was a talented artist who received his classical training in Czechoslovakia (currently the Czech Republic). In Toronto he had a long and successful career as an art director, an illustrator and in his later years pursued his passion as a fine artist.
Although surrounded by this creativity, Karen came late to her artistic pursuits. In her early twenties while studying English Literature at the University of Toronto, she found herself much happier doodling than writing essays. She went on to spend two years studying at “The Art Centre”- Central Technical School’s renowned post-secondary art program, before completing her art education at the Ontario College of Art.
Since then she has shown widely in numerous galleries throughout North America Please see the C.V. below for a detailed list of exhibitions
Karen is currently represented by galleries in Canada and the United States. She continues to paint and reside in Toronto where she lives with her husband and fellow artist Chris Carbone.
Artist Statement
Colour is of prime importance, evoking mood, sensuality and a sense of beauty. Relatively flat areas of colour are used to emphasize the formal qualities in each painting and there is no attempt to create the illusion of reality.
A rich pastiche is found within the paintings, comprised of diverse inspirations such as the avant-garde movements of the 19th and 20th centuries, European textile patterns and sources derived from my immediate environment. A dialogue between my imagination and the past informs the work. The painting begins to reveal itself as the brush interacts with the canvas. There are no preparatory sketches. The process of creating the painting is intuitive and remains exciting and spontaneous.
The composition is drawn directly onto the canvas with conte´ or brush, beginning with the figure or a vase of flowers, and then creating the surrounding environment. When the composition is completed with the various elements in place, the underpainting is begun. Layers of paint are added to the surface, allowing the colour of the underpainting to show through, creating richness and a depth to the surface colour.
The faces are derived from my imagination, the features generalized to suggest universality rather than a specific person. Inspiration for the still life paintings may come from a bouquet on my table, or many times they simply emerge luxuriantly and fully formed onto the canvas.
The titles for each of the paintings are deliberately prosaic, allowing the visual language of the painting to communicate to the viewer so that they may arrive at their own meaning, free from a predetermined interpretation.
C.V.
Gallery Representation
- Fountainhead Gallery, Seattle, WA
- Lando Gallery, Edmonton
- Artspace Oakville, Oakville, ON
- Matilda Swanson Gallery, Collingwood + Stratford
- Shayne Gallery, Montreal
- Artfinder, London, UK
Solo Exhibitions
- 2022 Fountainhead Gallery, Seattle, “Flora & Fauna”June
- 2013 Fountainhead Gallery, Seattle, “Flourish”, April
- 2012 Atti Gallery, Toronto, November
- 2010 Hollander York Gallery, Toronto, May
- 2010 Fountainhead Gallery, Seattle, “Evening”, February
- 2008 Hollander York Gallery, Toronto, November
- 2008 Fountainhead Gallery, Seattle, “Belle Epoque”, May
- 2007 Hollander York Gallery, Toronto, May
- 2006 Fountainhead Gallery, Seattle, August
- 2005 Hollander York Gallery, Toronto, October
- 2005 West End Gallery Edmonton, April,
- 2004 Hollander York Gallery, Toronto, May
- 2003 Hollander York Gallery, Toronto, April
- 2002 Hollander York Gallery, Toronto, April
- 1990 Forsyth Gallery, Toronto, June,
- 1990 Sidewalk Café & Gallery, Toronto March
- 1985 Marcel’s Bistro, Toronto, October-December
- 1984 Thornhill Public Library, Thornhill, Ontario, June
Group Exhibitions
- 2024 Petite Art Show, Online, “Spring Has Sprung”, May 24th-26th
- 2024 Fountainhead Gallery, Seattle, “Winter”, Feb-March
- 2023 Fountainhead Gallery, Seattle “Small Works”, November
- 2023 Fountainhead Gallery, Seattle, “Fall”, October
- 2023 Matilda Swanson Gallery, Stratford, “Wild Things”, August
- 2021 Fountainhead Gallery, “25 Springs”, April
- 2017 OCADU + Gowlings, Juried Group Exhibition, April
- 2015 Lando Gallery, Edmonton, Alberta “Featured Artists”, January
- 2014 Lando Gallery, Edmonton, Alberta “Featured Artists”, December
- 2012 Assiniboia Gallery, “Featured Artist” May
- 2011 Fountainhead Gallery, Seattle, “Figures”, Group Exhibition, March
- 2011 West End Gallery, Edmonton, December “A Winter‘s Eve“, Group Exhibition
- 2011 West End Gallery, Victoria, December “Winter Collection“, Group Exhibition
- 2011 Assiniboia Gallery, Regina, December , “Holiday Collection”, Group Exhibition
- 2010 West End Gallery, Edmonton May 35th Anniversary Exhibition, Group Exhibition
- 2010 Assiniboia, Regina, December Group Exhibition
- 2010 Jenkins Showler, October, Anniversary Exhibition
- 2009 Assiniboia, Regina, December Group Exhibition
- 2009 Hollander York Gallery, Toronto, December Group Exhibition
- 2009 Fountainhead Gallery, Seattle, December, Group Exhibition
- 2009 West End Gallery, Victoria, December Group Exhibition
- 2008 Assiniboia Gallery, Regina, “New Artists” Group Exhibition, April
- 2008 Hollander York Gallery, Toronto “Exposure” Group Exhibition, March
- 2008 Fountainhead Gallery, Seattle, “Stories-Informal Figurative Works”, Group Exhibition, January
- 2007 West End Gallery, Victoria, December Group Exhibition
- 2007 Assiniboia, Regina, December Group Exhibition
- 2006 Hollander York Gallery, Toronto, “Fleurs D’Ete” Group Exhibition, August
- 2006 West End Gallery Edmonton, Anniversary Show, Group Exhibition, April
- 2006 Zwickers Gallery, Halifax, Group Exhibition, March
- 2005 Riverdale Art Walk, The Little Art Show, November, Juried Exhibition
- 2005 West End Gallery, Victoria, December Group Exhibition
- 2005 Michel Bigue Gallery, Group Exhibition, December
- 2004 West End Gallery ,Edmonton, April, Group Exhibition
- 2004 West End Gallery ,Victoria, April, Group Exhibition
- 2003 Riverdale Art Walk, The Little Art Show, November, Juried Exhibition
- 2003 Art Gallery of Mississauga, 27th Annual Juried Show of Fine Arts, Dec-Feb.04
- 2002 Riverdale Art Walk, The Little Art Show, November, Juried Exhibition
- 2001 Harbour Gallery, Clarkson, March “New Artists”
- 2001 West End Gallery, Victoria, January, “New Artists”
- 2000 Pratt & Whitney’s “Perspectives” Exhibition of Women Artists, Mississauga Living Arts Centre, October
- 1997 Pratt & Whitney’s “Perspectives” Exhibition of Women Artists, Mississauga Living Arts Centre, October
- 1997 Art Gallery of Peel, “Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour – Diploma Collections”, March
- 1996 Homer Watson House & Gallery, Kitchener, June-August
- 1996 Roberts Gallery, Toronto, “Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour 70th Anniversary Exhibition”, April
- 1994 Teodora Gallery, Toronto, December-January, Group Exhibition
- 1992 Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, July
- 1990 Animism Gallery, Toronto
- 1990 “Celebration of Women’s Sexuality”, York Quay, Harbourfront, Toronto
- 1985 Colour & Form Society, Skylight Gallery, Toronto, November
- 1984 Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, July
- 1984 Artists’ Colony, Aurora, April
- 1983 Wild Wings Gallery, Newmarket, Ontario, Group Exhibition
- 1983 Art Invesco, Toronto, Three person Show
Collections
- Convention Capital
- Inn on The Twenty, Jordan, Ontario
- Blue Fox Café, Victoria
- Michael’s Back Door Restaurant, Clarkson, Ontario
- Barlow Capital Management, Victoria B.C.
- C.S.P.W.C. Diploma Collections Art Gallery of Peel, Peel, Ontario
Publications
- Arabella, Spring 2013, “Artists who Paint Flowers”
- Black & White, Birmingham’s City Paper March 2011 Cover
- Black & White, Birmingham’s City Paper Dec.2010-Jan. 2011 Cover
- Coastal Living November 26th, 2010, What’s on at the Galleries, Jennifer Blyth pg.A18
- Focus, December 2009 “The Arts” pg. 20
- Focus, November 2008 “The Arts” pg. 28
- Magazin’Art Summer 2007 “Des motifs pour se surpasser” pp.75-77, pp 123-126
- Chatelaine May 2003, “Room Roulette”, Anita Draycroft pg.3
- Where Toronto, May 2002, Betty Ann Jordan, “Yorkville Art Walk” pg. 19
Education
- 1984-88 Ontario College of Art
- 1981-83 The Art Center, Central Technical School
- 1978-81 University of Toronto, Liberal Arts Program