Karen Lee Williams | ALBADA JELGERSMA Gallery

Karen Lee Williams

Karen Lee Williams (1980) works mostly in sculpture and photography to create a space in which logic and intuition play with each other. Her work challenges conventional assumptions about natural phenomena and materiality and it makes us aware of the absurdity of trying to reconcile reason with gut feeling. Lee Williams is inspired by instances where superstition and mysticism infiltrate scientific discovery and technology.

Karen Lee Williams
Mailer's Key, 2016
cotton rope, wood and acrylic
235 x 114.3 cm (92 4/8 x 45 inches)
Karen Lee Williams
Maw, Violence in Mind, 2017
cotton cord, dye, and steel
203.2 x 40.6 cm (80 x 16 inches)
Karen Lee Williams
Soft Science, 2016
cyanotype photogram on muslin
122 x 78.7 cm (48 x 31 inches)
Karen Lee Williams
Rip, 2018
cyanotype photogram on muslin
90 x 70 cm (35 3/8 x 27 4/8 inches)
Karen Lee Williams
Neap, 2018
cyanotype photogram on muslin
80 x 70 cm (31 4/8 x 27 4/8 inches)
Karen Lee Williams
Crook, 2018
cyanotype photogram on muslin
100 x 80 cm (39 3/8 x 31 4/8 inches)
Karen Lee Williams
Slipstream, 2018
cyanotype photogram on muslin
100 x 80 cm (39 3/8 x 31 4/8 inches)
Karen Lee Williams
Untitled (Solo), 2019
cyanotype photogram and graphite on paper
51 x 38 cm (20 1/8 x 15 inches)
Karen Lee Williams
Untitled (Trio), 2018
cyanotype photogram and graphite on paper
38 x 46 cm (15 x 18 1/8 inches)

b. 1980, Los Angeles, CA
Lives and works in Brooklyn, NY

EDUCATION

2014 MFA Visual Arts, SUNY Purchase College, New York, NY
2004 BA Fine Art and B.A. Art History, University of California, Los Angeles, CA

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2017 Portuguese Bend, Monte Vista Projects, Los Angeles, CA (upcoming)
2016 Remote Sensing, Equity Gallery, New York, NY

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2017 New York, New Work, ALBADA JELGERSMA, Amsterdam, The Netherlands (upcoming)
2017 #SUNSET, Spring Break Art Fair, New York, NY
2017 FemiNest, Equity Gallery, New York, NY
2017 POST-ELECTION, September Gallery, Hudson, NY
2016 The Gloaming: Alexandra Pacheco Garcia, Jenny Yurshansky, & Karen Lee, Visitor Welcome Center, Los Angeles, CA
2015 2014:1947, Equity Gallery, New York, NY
2015 Sixty Minutes, Vanity Projects, Miami and Vanity Projects, New York, NY
2015 Lilac Arts Series, Lilac Museum, Hudson River Park Pier 25, New York, NY
2015 Capitalist Architecture in a Post Humanist World, Millington Hall, The College of William and Mary, Williamsburg VA
2014 Chronicle, Scott Charmin Gallery, Houston, TX
2014 Whistle Stop: 2014 MFA Thesis Exhibition, Highline Loft, New York; Richard and Dolly Maass Gallery, Purchase, NY
2013 In Real Life, Richard and Dolly Maass Gallery, Purchase, NY
2013 Potluck, Gallery 1019A, Purchase, NY
2013 If you see something, say something, Katzen Arts Center at American University, Washington, DC
2012 Divining Rod, Richard and Dolly Maass Gallery, Purchase, NY
2012 Recital, Gallery 1019A, Purchase, NY
2012 The Eagle Rock Rock and Eagle Shop, Los Angeles, CA
2012 Artists Merchandising Art, Wonderloch Kellerland, Los Angeles, CA
2011 9 Holes, Paredon Blanco, Los Angeles, CA
2011 ways/means, Paredon Blanco, Los Angeles, CA
2010 Cellar Show, Private Residence, Los Angeles, CA
2009 Heaven III: performance, art, music, Silverlake Lounge, Los Angeles, CA
2008 Heaven II: performance, art, music, Silverlake Lounge, Los Angeles, CA
2008 Heaven I: performance, art, music, Silverlake Lounge, Los Angeles, CA
2008 Thank Tank 2008: Going Public, Eighteen Thirty, Los Angeles, CA
2007 Horrorshow, Telic Arts Exchange, Los Angeles, CA
2007 MixCD for Telic, Telic Arts Exchange, Los Angeles, CA
2007 Speakeasy Prom, Not a Speakeasy, Los Angeles, CA
2007 Puppet Show II, Not a Speakeasy, Los Angeles, CA
2007 Puppet Show I, Not a Speakeasy, Los Angeles, CA
2007 TP, Not a Speakeasy, Los Angeles, CA
2004 Welcome, UCLA Undergraduate Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2004 The Mom! I Love You! Show, UCLA Undergraduate Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2004 I Love a Parade, UCLA Undergraduate Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2003 Undergraduate Juried Exhibition, Juror Christina Fernandez, UCLA Wight Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2003 Rock and Roll, Found Music, Los Angeles, CA

CURATORIAL PROJECTS

2011 A (Sculpture (Garden) Party), Private Residence, Los Angeles, CA
2010 Bulletin Board Show, Los Angeles, CA
2010 Fireplace Gathering, Private Residence, Los Angeles, CA
2010 Pool Show, Private Residence, Los Angeles, CA
2010 Hot Point: A Fridge Show, Private Residence, Los Angeles, CA

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

2013 Purchase College Graduate Teaching Fellowship (Drawing and Sculpture)

AWARDS AND GRANTS

2015 New York Emerging Artist Grant Nominee, Rema Hort Mann Foundation
2014 MFA Project Grant, School of Art+Design, Purchase College, NY
2013 Merit Scholarship, School of Art+Design, Purchase College, NY
2012 Merit Scholarship, School of Art+Design, Purchase College, NY

PRESS AND BIOGRAPHY

2017 Lambert, Audra. “Material And Process Exalted At Equity Gallery’sFemiNest.” Ante (March 17,2017) [online]
2016 Murphy, Kate. “New Work by Karen Lee Williams at Equity Gallery Curated byMelinda Wang.” Arte Fuse (October 3, 2016) [online]
2015 ‘2015:1947’ at Equity Gallery through November 28th. Art Observed (November 23, 2015) [online].
2015 Ryzik, Melena. “Artists Equity to Reopen a Gallery on the Lower East Side.” New York Times (October 17, 2015) [in print and online].
2015 Krach, Aaron. “Greenwich Village Book Desecration League: Volume 1.” Invisible-Exports. New York.
2014 Messinger, Kate. “Art Talks with Karen Lee.” The WILD (October 14, 2014) [online].
2014 Messinger, Kate. “What to See at Greenpoint Open Studios This Weekend.” The WILD (October 2, 2014) [online].
2014 Hirsch, Faye and Karen Lee. “Whistle Stop: 2014 MFA Thesis Exhibition Catalogue.” SUNY Purchase College. Purchase, New York.