Acerca de
Karen Tharp is a multidisciplinary artist living in the heart of Florida. Her material anchor is porcelain, from which she makes large installations, small sculptures, and pottery.
Texture, volume, and fine lines are staples of her artwork, with a focus on labor and detail.
Her sculptural work ruminates on surreal interpretations of natural life in Florida. Shifting scale and texture while capturing eerily familiar gestures, she hopes to evoke curiosity with her installations and sculptures.
The handmade porcelain pottery she creates is lovingly decorated with Floridian botanicals and Art Deco designs. Each unique piece is wheel-thrown, free-hand carved with an
x-acto knife, stained, and fired.
She received her BFA in Studio Art from Florida State University, her Post Baccalaureate in Ceramics from University of Florida, and her MFA in Fine Arts from The Ohio State University. Both during and after her MFA, Tharp taught ceramics at The Ohio State University and Capital University in Columbus, Ohio. Additionally, she worked as an art preparator at Beeler Gallery, Hopkins Hall Gallery, and Urban Arts Space.