Kathryn Z. Kailian 

I paint with brushes on a canvas or board. The scale, subject and mood are always unexpected. One day, wildly depicted pears slash across the surface. On another, basketball players appear, entwined and dancing in flight.  Some days produce an outpouring of my feminist spark or my cultural identity. Inspiration flows with ferocity.

My artistic life has had many turns, beginning with advanced studies in Fine Art, teaching children to create and express themselves, raising two wonderful children, a long second career in aesthetics, an unconventional move, and planting new roots in Washington, DC - all of which have led me back to the study of self-expression.  Art has always infused every aspect of my life, but now, my life is an explosion of expression in imagery.  

My Armenian history is rich with joy, amazing cuisine, culture, and the strength of survival.  Preservation of our language and architecture are themes of my life and art.  Our story reverberates with tragedy, resilience, and beauty, all of which pervade my work.  The fight for justice relates deeply to my more intense paintings.  

My process is free, surprising, emotional and gratifying.  I start with an image, a scene, and the mirror; deciphering myself is an integral aspect of the process.  I interpret the relationship of the shapes and negative spaces then free the form and color onto the canvas.   I amplify, reduce, distort, simplify, exaggerate. I stand when I paint and dance when the work gets exciting. 

My period of independent study at the Washington Studio School allows me to fearlessly explore new themes and subject matter extending from my current works. My direction is completely unpredictable, and I revel in my own anticipation.