Different Paths
Different Paths presents a solitary female figure, her profile imbued with quiet introspection, gazing off into an ambiguous distance as though contemplating the divergent paths before her. The textured layers of muted tones, contrasted with scribbled text and the intricate patterning of her hat, evoke a narrative of choices, identity, and the passage of time, inviting the viewer to reflect on the personal and existential decisions that shape one's journey.
Presence
Presence captures a woman whose striking, steady gaze evokes a sense of quiet power and introspection, set against a backdrop of deep shadows and abstract text. The layered textures, intricate paper fragments forming her collar, and bold tonal contrasts heighten the tension between strength and vulnerability, inviting the viewer to contemplate her complex emotional depth and the silent narrative written across her face and surroundings.
Watch the interview Rebecca Ferleman did with Kim Klabe
Her artistic journey, evolving from representational art to mixed media, now focuses on exploring the beauty and struggles of women through layered, textured works that convey resilience, vulnerability, and emotional depth.
Be Seen
Be Seen confronts the viewer with an electrifying side profile of a figure caught in the act of vocal expression, as bold, radiant colors explode outward from the head, intertwining with geometric forms and fragmented text. The vibrant yellows, purples, and blues, layered with dynamic brushstrokes and erratic lines, evoke an energy of both urgency and liberation, while the abstracted text in the background suggests a cacophony of voices striving to be heard. The juxtaposition of sharp, angular shapes with the fluidity of the painted figure creates a tension between control and spontaneity, amplifying the emotional intensity of the composition. This work embodies a powerful declaration of presence, a visual metaphor for breaking through silence and demanding visibility in a world saturated with noise and expectation.
Go With the Flow
This vibrant composition, Go With the Flow, confronts the viewer with an intense, direct gaze, the figure’s face awash in a kaleidoscopic interplay of bold hues and ethereal light. The drips and splatters of pigment bleed into one another, blurring the boundaries between form and abstraction, while fluid, organic shapes swirl around her head like a visual manifestation of her inner world. The dynamic textures and expressive brushwork, coupled with erratic lines and fragmented text, evoke a sense of movement and transformation, inviting the viewer into an emotional and psychological landscape that is as fluid and multifaceted as the colors themselves. This piece speaks to the transcendence of the individual, embodying a radiant, almost celestial energy that challenges conventional representations of identity and presence.
Please No Trousers
Please No Trousers presents a contemplative portrait rendered in luminous washes of color, where the figure’s face, softly lit by vibrant yellows, oranges, and purples, evokes an inner stillness amidst the swirling abstraction that surrounds her. The layering of translucent pigments and erratic text creates a dynamic interplay between introspection and the external world, as if the figure is emerging from or dissolving into the atmospheric haze of memory or emotion. Her gaze, steady and introspective, invites the viewer into a space of quiet reflection, while the radiant palette suggests an underlying vitality and resilience. The composition oscillates between softness and intensity, balancing the delicate handling of form with the expressive bursts of color that hint at a more complex, unspoken narrative beneath the surface.
Different State
This mixed-media composition presents a haunting interplay of human emotion and symbolism. The monochromatic face gazes outward with wide, expressive eyes—suggesting a moment of inner contemplation or withheld emotion, as one hand gently covers the mouth. Her expression oscillates between vulnerability and quiet strength. The text, partially obscured but legible in places—"Shut your mouth"—implies an undercurrent of repression or muted voice. The Klabe creates a tactile dialogue between fragility and defiance, employing rough textures, blurred words, and visual fragments that invite the viewer to engage with themes of silence, voice, and the complexity of identity. This tension between speech and silence, between what is said and left unsaid, forms the emotional core of the work, encouraging introspection on both personal and collective experiences of restraint.
Explore the works of Kim Klabe
For years, she was confined by the belief that only through representational art could she gain acceptance in the art world, where an ocean must resemble an ocean, and a tree must mimic its real-world counterpart—her work, she felt, had to be worthy of adorning a domestic space to be deemed legitimate.
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