— ARTIST IN RESIDENCE

MEET KAREN SEWELL

We are delighted to have Karen Sewell as our Artist in Residence. Karen creates her artworks in and around the Cathedral and is inspired by her surroundings.

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The Cathedral has had a long association with the arts historically commissioning artworks as it was built and in recent times establishing the John Wilson Gallery, hosting art installations, and participating in Artweek Auckland. The artist in residence compliments these initiatives, extends our involvement in the arts, and provides benefits for the Cathedral community and the artist.

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A visual artist graduating with a Master of Fine Arts (with Honours) in 2016 from Whitecliffe College of Arts and Design, Karen is interested in the intersection of art and spiritual experience. She aspires to create artworks that activate spaces for viewer/participants to be able to experience liminal moments of awareness of the unknown, an awakening to wonder, or numinous experiences. Karen works across media including sculpture, installation, painting, drawing and photography, specialising in installation practice. 

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In 2022 Karen exhibited at the Venice Biennale. Luminary | Luminare showed at the Palazzo Bembo on the Grand Canal (bottom image). This was Karen’s first international exhibition and is an incredible achievement. 

The Luminary | Luminare installation toured several NZ cathedrals and churches in 2022.