Biography
Sourcing inspiration from within, she dives into her abstract world, articulating her adventures with undulating colours, shapes and patterns. A studio based artist, she works primarily with oil on canvas, in which her labor-intensive and intuitive process produce brightly coloured, sometimes tactile paintings that can also be sculptural. Oils prepared studiously before their application, by combining a number of paints, are carefully applied in a practice governed by abstract rules and introspective negotiations. Avoiding prior digital sketches, Kari relies on quick decisions and instinct. The process is a balance between physical motor skills and mental power, in which the brush becoming more than a tool, is an extension of her body that is intuitively guided by the beat of her heart, as well as the quiet melody in her head.
Kari’s visual language implies the pixilation of the organic world. Working in a similar vein as individuals with synesthesia and inspired by Op art, Colour Field paintings and Lyrical Abstraction, she weaves visual poetry that sings her inner world, populated by strange protagonists and perplexing landscapes. Elementary geometric shapes such as triangles and rectangles and magnified single-celled microorganisms thrive harmoniously in the same graphic plane. The visual rhythms conjured through formal arrangements of shapes are somehow simultaneously organic and artificial, bringing to mind the movement of natural energies as well as the pace of fast-moving urban commercial signage. With energetic allover compositions, her scenes appear as though they expand beyond the boundaries of the picture frame, making reference to both the expansive universe and the mysterious microscopic realm.
Kari Bienert Colour Field Artist
About Me
When I paint I commune with an inner world that is bursting with vivid colour, imagery and movement, a world that never turns off, a world I can touch and see in the stillness of my practice. These other dimensions come in my dreams as triangles, squares, amoebas, twisting, turning, revolving and changing form. It is from this place that my paintings are born.
I have always been interested in geometry and shapes and they’re relevance to the structure of every living cell. I am fascinated that everything in existence is made up of energy. My works are fields of energy.
Meditation and music are vital influences in my work. Each breath, each brushstroke, each note brings me back to the present moment of now. A space where the past and present no longer exist and new experience prevails. Nothing in my works is computer generated or constructed prior to painting. I am drawn to the simple life of monks and they’re absolute dedication to live in the present without the encumbrance of surplus “things”.
Music takes me on journeys into painting and the works become meditations in colour.
The Palette
Once my composition is hand drawn using minimal pencil marks, I use many different brushes according to the work. A thin, long bristle brush for the thick textured works where precision and constancy are foremost. These heavy paintings take many weeks to finish and the paint takes months to dry. A shorter, wider bristle brush is used for works when applying thin layers of paint. The accuracy and placement of differing colours and composition is all intuitive. I become part of a co-creative dance between inner vision and brushstroke.
There is a distinct three dimensional effect in my work which makes the flat picture plane vibrate. This adds a ‘sense of consciousness’ which brings an encompassing energetic connection to the viewer.
The inter relationship of thousands of colours and shapes in my paintings can produce either a dynamic kaleidoscopic effect or a calm and more undulating experience.
Upon arriving at Art School (actually to study film), I found myself drawn to painting and colour. I started to paint with gouache on paper which later led to an obsession with oils. It was here where I fell in love with colour and discovered a new language I could express through paint.
My studies in sculpture and photography also influenced my works allowing it to take on different form and composition as evident in my textural “line period”.
Textural “Line period”.
After gaining my degree in Visual Arts from the University of South Australia I have dedicated my life to my love of colour and painting. I have travelled extensively and had over 15 years exhibiting experience. My paintings are in both public and private collections.
Exhibitions
PAINTING LOCATIONS
2015-2022 CURRENTLY PAINTING IN AUSTRALIA 2011-2014 PAINTING IN MALAYSIA
2009-2010 PRIVATE WORKS, SYDNEY & ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA
2005-2006 PAINTING IN LOS ANGELES, U.S.A.
2002-2003 PAINTING IN ITALY, GREECE, FRANCE AND ENGLAND 1996-2001 PAINTING IN SYDNEY & ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2022 MAIN GALLERY, ADELAIDE "PAINTINGS FOR A NEW FUTURE"
2019 SOUTH AUSTRALIAN LIVING ARTISTS "A COLOURFUL LIFE", ADELAIDE
2018 BMG GALLERY, ADELAIDE "WHEN MUMMY PAINTS" 2016 WORTH GALLERY, ADELAIDE 2015 WORTH GALLERY, ADELAIDE (BARN RESIDENCY)
2008 FLINDERS STREET GALLERY, SYDNEY
2008 BMG GALLERY, ADELAIDE
2006 ARTSPACE, ADELAIDE
2006 BGH GALLERY, LOS ANGELES, U.S.A
2005 GALLERY TEN ELEVEN, MELBOURNE
2004 HILL SMITH FINE ART, ADELAIDE
2002 RECENT WORKS, STUDIO 91B (CUBE CONTEMPORARY ART), ADELAIDE
2001 RECENT WORKS, KLASSROOM, SYDNEY
2000 RECENT WORKS, ASTRO GALLERY, SYDNEY
1999 TUTTI FRUTTI, NOW ART, ADELAIDE
1998 I HEAR YOU, URBAN COW STUDIO, ADELAIDE
1997 WE SWIM, CAFÉ PICCANTE, ADELAIDE
1996 CLIQUE CURVES, CARRICK HILL, ADELAIDE
1995 NIGHTSOULS, CAFÉ PICCANTE, ADELAIDE
1994 SOULFUL, CAFÉ PICCANTE, ADELAIDE
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2019 GALLERIA DE MARCHI, "THE ILLUSION OF REALITY", BOLOGNA ITALY
2016 "LITTLE TREASURES" TREVISAN INTERNATIONAL ART, ITALY
2016 "LITTLE WORKS", WORTH GALLERY, ADELAIDE
2016 BMGART CHRISTMAS EXHIBITION, BMG GALLERY, ADELAIDE
2016 PATTERN EXHIBITION, SIGNAL POINT GALLERY, ADELAIDE 2015 BMGART CHRISTMAS EXHIBITION, BMG GALLERY, ADELAIDE 2015 BARN STUDIO ARTISTS EXHIBITION, WORTH GALLEY, ADELAIDE 2015 SALA "OFF SHOOT" EXHIBITION, FISHER JEFFRIES ART SPACE, ADELAIDE
2008 LENNOX STREET OPEN STUDIO SHOW, SYDNEY 2007 LENNOX STREET OPEN STUDIO SHOW, SYDNEY
2004 CENTRAL STUDIOS NEW WORKS, ADELAIDE CENTRAL GALLERY
2003 HILL SMITH FINE ART “COLLECTIONS”, HILL SMITH ADELAIDE
2002 INTERNATIONAL ART FAIR, REPRESENTED BY CUBE, MELBOURNE
HELPMANN ACADEMY ART FAIR LAUNCH, CUBE, ADELAIDE
INDECOROUS ABSTRACTION, ROMA MITCHELL ART GALLERY, ADELAIDE
PURE (SALA SHOW), CUBE CONTEMPORARY ART (FORMERLY STUDIO 91B), ADELAIDE
GROUP EXHIBITION, STUDIO 91B, ADELAIDE
URBANSCAPE, MAD LOVE GALLERY, ADELAIDE
SCOTCH COLLEGE ANNUAL SHOW, ADELAIDE
PUSHING ABSTRACTION, STELLA DOWNER FINE ART, SYDNEY
2001 LOVE COLOUR, STUDIO 91B, ADELAIDE
FLAVOUR - AUSTRALIANS IN NEW YORK, NEW YORK, USA
SPRING ART, LORETO COLLEGE ANNUAL, ADELAIDE
2001 SALA SHOW, HILL SMITH FINE ART, ADELAIDE
2000 OPEN STUDIOS, NEWTOWN, SYDNEY
1999 GOOD THINKING 99, ART IMAGES, ADELAIDE
1997 AL FRESCO, GREENHILL GALLERIES, ADELAIDE
1996 EMERGING VISUAL ARTISTS EXHIBITION, PULTENEY GRAMMAR SCHOOL, ADELAIDE
1995 EMERGING VISUAL ARTISTS EXHIBITION, PULTENEY GRAMMAR SCHOOL, ADELAIDE
1994 STUDENT & STAFF EXHIBITION, UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE
1992 CAFÉ PARADISO, ADELAIDE
1991 RUBY’S CAFÉ, ADELAIDE
SOLITAIRES CAFÉ, ADELAIDE
EDUCATION
1993 BACHELOR OF VISUAL ARTS, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA
PRESENTATIONS
2015 BARN RESIDENCY ARTIST TALK, ADELAIDE 2003 SLIDE PRESENTATION AND LECTURE, CENTRO D’ARTE VERROCCHIO, ITALY
2002 LECTURE, ART SCHOOL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA
REVIEWS
2017 "HER STORY EXHIBITION" MANHATTAN ARTS INTERNATIONAL 2017 "THE COMPLEX & INNOVATIVE ART OF KARI BIENERT" (LINK) 2016 MANHATTAN ARTS FEATURE ARTIST (JULY) 2015 ADELAIDE MATTERS PROFILE FEATURE 2014 MANZA MAGAZINE FEATURE (AUGUST ISSUE)
2005 CATHRINE CLIFTON COVER STORY ADELAIDE MATTERS
2005 LOUISE NUNN “KARI BIENERT INTERNATIONAL ARTIST” THE ADVERTISER
2002 LOUISE NUNN "COLOUR FIELDS" THE ADVERTISER
JOHN NEYLON "MELLOW YELLOW" ADELAIDE REVIEW
NOMINATED BEST NEW TALENT IN 2002 "OSCARTS" THE ADVERTISER
CONRAD JUPITERS GOLD COAST ART PRIZE FINALIST2001 ADAM DUTKIEWICZ "REVEALING A COLOURFUL TALE" THE ADVERTISER
SIMON CRITTLEMETRO --- "TAKING IT TO NEW YORK" SUN HERALD
ADAM DUTKIEWICZ COMPLEX ABSTRACTIONS - "SALA SHOW" THE ADVERTISER
TRACY WHITING PROMOTION --- “SPRING ART” "AM" ADELAIDE
1998 REBECCA JOHNSON “I HEAR YOU” DB MAGAZINE
1996 RICHARD LAWTON ARTS ABOUT --- “CLIQUE CURVES” LIQUID SPACE
PRIZES
2019 AWARD OF EXCELLENCE, “THE ART THAT LIFTS OUR SPIRITS”, MANHATTAN ARTS, NEW YORK
2018 ARTIST OF THE YEAR AWARD LYON FRANCE – CIRCLE FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS – HONOURABLE MENTION
2018 FINALIST IN THE SPECTRUM MIAMI ART FAIR COMPETITION
2017 MANHATTAN ARTS INTERNATIONAL “HERSTORY” – SECOND PLACE CASH AWARD
2001 THE ADVERTISER OSCARTS AWARDS – “BEST NEW TALENT”
2000 CONRAD JUPITER’S GOLD COAST FINALIST
COMMISSIONS
1994 - 2016 VARIOUS PRIVATE COMMISSIONS
COLLECTIONS
ARTBANK AND NUMEROUS PRIVATE COLLECTIONS IN LONDON, UNITED STATES, SYDNEY, PERTH, ADELAIDE, MELBOURNE AND KUALA LUMPUR
CHANNEL 7 TV
MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY (SYDNEY)
