Portfolio
Current Bodies of Work
My geothermal (including fumarolic) index work is an emerging body of place-responsive art developed in direct relationship with the volcanic landscapes of Rotorua with specific attention to Te Arikiroa Geothermal Wetlands. I expose prepared textiles, pigments and surfaces to live geothermal conditions, allowing steam, sulphur, heat, minerals, microbial communities, algae, moisture and time to become active collaborators in the mark-making process.
Currently under development toward exhibition circa 2027, this work forms part of my ongoing investigation into Nature as co-creator: giving the whenua a voice through visual language and substrate to write it's own story.
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THRESHOLD: PLACE-BASED WEARABLE SCULPTURE (2026)
THRESHOLD | PASSAGE, TRANSFORMATION AND THE SPACE BETWEEN STATES.
Te Arikiroa, The main geothermal upflow on the southern edge of Lake Rotorua. Feathers, gathered one by one over the last 4 years from the land. Alchemically transformed with copper skin in studio, muka- hand processed and woven into cord, then offered to the living breath of the caldera volcano for transmutation.
What results, is sculpture.. Artefacts, more than jewellery. A moment of primordial power that stands between worlds you can wear and participate in.
THRESHOLD will be launched on www.artalchemy.co.nz at 11am 25.10.26There will be a curated selection of THRESHOLD as part of WORN EXHIBITION @INCUBATOR GALLERY , Tauranga Historic Village opening 24 October to 21 November 2026.
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Layers of Whispers is a developing body of work holding my evolving relationships with Water, Earth, Sky, and the sentience between.
These works are traces of encounter. Layers of Whispers is the visual language of Nature: the murmur of water, soil, breath, decay, memory, and return As this body is under development, the following pieces are explorative and process based rather than fully realised for future exhibition. They are the whispers of what is growing largely unseen within my current creative practice, to offer you a glimpse into my world.
These works are traces of encounter. Layers of Whispers is the visual language of Nature: the murmur of water, soil, breath, decay, memory, and return As this body is under development, the following pieces are explorative and process based rather than fully realised for future exhibition. They are the whispers of what is growing largely unseen within my current creative practice, to offer you a glimpse into my world.
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KAREN HANSEN ART ARCHIVES - HISTORICAL BODIES OF RESEARCH AND WORK
EXPLORE KAREN HANSEN'S PAST BODIES OF WORK
All great Art and Conceptual thinking has a long ancestral line. You can see where Karen Hansen's unique set of skills and way of looking at the world has developed over time, by browsing her earlier works, research and development.