KARABO’s statement

My professional artistic journey started out as a coping mechanism following my 2019 diagnosis of MS (multiple sclerosis). I found myself in a new reality where my previous international adventures, spontaneity, and bohemian life were what felt like a distant memory, or even a fever dream. Honestly, visual art was never something I would even dream of pursuing as the words of my art teacher from my senior year in high school have stuck with me for two decades, “your artwork is childish and chaotic. You have no business painting”. However, a few weeks after going through a downward spiral of learning about how random MS can be, and me (with my pessimistic ways) thinking of the worst, I said to myself “F- -k it” and started to create paintings that allowed me to express the anger, anxiety, loneliness, and hopelessness state I found myself in. As if almost in a trance, I would lock-in for hours or days at a time until my heart was content with what my canvas was showing me.

Things that inspire me the most are urban living/multi-culturalism, mental health, and the cosmos.

Art to me is not about pretty pictures, perfect lines, or even obvious figures; art is about confronting the uncomfortable, the chaotic, and the unimaginable.