Combining his strengths in sculpture, composition and photography, Kristopher Karklin produces large format digital prints. His artistic practice focuses on the exploration of his personal experiences and relationship with spaces. While often playing out autobiographical content, the figures in his images touch on universal ideas around gender and identity, isolation and connection.
Following a slow and laborious process, Karklin’s unique approach is very much about building a memory rather than merely capturing it. The spaces in his images are miniature models that he constructs by hand. He photographs the finished product and then digitally manipulates these by inserting images of human models that he has photographed separately.
Raised in the town of Fort-McMurray, Alberta, Karklin completed his BFA at the Alberta University of the Arts (formerly Alberta College of Art and Design) in 2007. He has been the recipient of several distinguished awards including the 2007 ACAD Board of Governor’s Award and the 2012 Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Arts Award for Emerging Artists. Karklin’s work has been included at the Art Gallery of Alberta, Edmonton as a participant of the 2013 Alberta Biennial, and is represented in the public collections of the Art Gallery of Alberta, The Glenbow Museum and the Alberta Foundation for the Arts as well as private collections in both Canada and the United States including the distinguished photographic collection of Sir Elton John.
Exhibition: 2015
PRESS
“Mixed Results at the Alberta Biennial”, GALLERIES WEST, Agnieszka Matejko, 2017″
“Artist Kristopher Karklin Manipulates His Memories of Oilsands”, CALGARY HERALD, Stephen Hunt, 2015
“Oil Patch Artistry”, EDMONTON JOURNAL, Marty Klinkenberg, 2012
