Meet the Artist - Chris Karpiak
As a mixed media artist and teacher I believe in fostering an authentic spirit of inquiry and exploration to develop rich creative experiences. I paint, photograph, assemble, stitch and dye my way through explorative processes that weave their stories into my life’s journey.
I have have been blessed to have taught thousands of students across the world. It is my life’s purpose to help light students from within as they discover their own voice through creativity and self expression.
I have been an Artist in Residence in Orquevaux, France, October 2023, and I am honoured to have my work in the Denis Diderot Gallery (France). My work has been part of the 2024 and 2025 Artist Almanac and I am also a regular contributor to Somerset Studio, the world’s premier mixed media magazine.
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To me, “Art is Magic” is a very good way of summarizing everything that Art is. Art stirs within but is expressed outwardly. From feelings, emotions, thoughts, ideas, and desires within, Art provides a channel for whatever IS, find it’s way out, without boundaries. It’s as if a sort of magical transition happens when you get to tell your inner story through any media of your choice. Something from within your soul needs to be examined, expressed or given attention to, and is lovingly supported by a journey through creativity. It doesn’t matter what medium you express yourself with, it’s the doing that is important. An inner journey takes place, whether it’s within the framework of one piece, or throughout your growth as an artist. A transformation happens and allows the magic to unfold. It is something immeasureable, yet you know when you haven’t created in a long time and the creativity needs to come out because it nudges you increasingly until you do something about it. It just is a part of the fibre of your being. And you get to wave your magic wand and let it flow.
I’ve been a Creative all my life, but when I found Mixed Media, a whole world of excitement opened up for me. My soul was on fire as I found what truly ignited me from within. Everything I had ever done before could find a home amongst other mediums. It could all play together and it didn’t need to follow the rules. And I could get messy, without the pressure of having to make things realistic or perfect. Finding mixed media was completely freeing and healing to my soul and enabled me to express myself in ways I never had experienced before.
As I progressed throughout my mixed media career and found myself in life altering, difficult (and sometimes debilitating) times, I realized that Art wasn’t just there to feed the soul, it was also there to help heal the soul. I began to see that Art was a part of my life, and that Life and Art were interwoven; one informs the other and they together they perform a push and pull dance. To me, they are inseparable, and I cannot imagine functioning well without them together.
I see inspiration and delight everywhere. I take note of color, pattern and design wherever I go, and I let it wash over me and diffuse into my cells. I am curious and I seek beauty in all places. Finding beauty in the most
mundane or smallest of things makes you appreciate what there is. It makes you grateful and that gratitude brings happiness. Sometimes I let what I see just be what it is but sometimes it lights a fire in me and it calls me to create. I create with paint and paper, but I also create with anything from nature to metal. The magic is, there really are no rules to creating.
You make it your own. Right now working with nature is all encompassing for me. Nature informs my art in so many different facets that I cannot imagine creating without it. I also am absolutely addicted and drawn to collage of any kind. I love to see what kinds of materials I can collage together, and the more opposite they are, the bigger the pay off.