Karen Chang
Karen Chang is an expressive artist based in the Pacific Northwest, known for her ability to blend realism with surreal abstraction. Born and raised in San Jose, California, Karen discovered her passion for art early on, finding solace in painting amidst the challenges of growing up in an immigrant household. Art became her sanctuary—a way to transform hardship into beauty and hope.
Driven by a fascination with the human experience, she earned a PhD in Social Psychology but found that true aliveness lay in creative expression. Refining her skills at the Milan Art Institute, Karen developed a signature style of luminous hues, dynamic compositions, and evocative imagery. Her process combines palette knife techniques and brushwork, creating multi-dimensional surfaces where figures emerge from swirling colors—bridging the tangible and the surreal.
Inspired by mindfulness and her own journey of resilience, Karen’s work captures the delicate balance between chaos and calm, darkness and light. “My intention is to guide viewers into that hidden, luminous realm where everyday worries fade and magic feels tangible,” she explains. Her art serves as a visual language of hope and transformation, inviting viewers to see beyond the surface and uncover the extraordinary within.
Today, Karen creates from her studio nestled in the mountains of Snoqualmie, Washington, where her work has attracted a growing audience of collectors and exhibitions. Her ability to infuse canvases with both energy and emotional resonance has earned her praise for her vibrant portrayal of the human experience. Looking ahead, she plans to expand her body of work and explore new techniques that push the boundaries of color and abstraction, continuing her mission to inspire hope and transformation through art.
Artist Statement
As an artist, I strive to reveal the hidden magic often overlooked in everyday life—to transform the ordinary into a space of wonder, possibility, and self-discovery. The inspirations behind my work are deeply personal, yet speak to something universal. Each painting is an echo of my inner landscape—whether it’s a moment of growth, a longing to break free, or a vision of who I aspire to become. Though deeply personal, I believe these emotions are universally human. By translating them into layers of color, texture, and form, I hope to create a mirror for the viewer—inviting them to recognize parts of their own journey and feel less alone in it.
My process begins with energetic, intuitive mark-making using mixed media to build a raw, expressive foundation. From there, I refine realistic forms in oil, allowing figures and emotions to emerge from the abstract. The many layers involved in each painting reflect the many complex parts of which our selves are composed. The transformation from raw to refined mirrors my message of revealing hidden potential through art. In the end, my work is a celebration of transformation and resilience—a reminder that even in the midst of struggle, there is beauty, resilience, and something extraordinary waiting to be uncovered.
www.karenchangart.com
