Karen Klassen Mosaics

Karen Klassen assembles her mosaics like she’s creating a charcuterie board of collected memories.

Klassen hand-selects all of her materials. Some, she sources from local rock and gem vendors; others, she finds in nature. Every item she collects has a story.

“Anywhere I travel, I pick up something,” referring to the moss, rocks, and pieces of wood in her collection. Each carefully selected piece patiently sits in Klassen’s home studio until the right canvas—whether jewellery, statues, or her statement mosaics—calls it into service. Some of Klassen’s materials sit in her studio for years before she immortalizes them in one of her mixed media artworks. She once hung onto a large driftwood for over two years before giving it a permanent home. Eventually, she placed it atop her most beloved statue, The Goddess, giving the life-size statue of a feminine figure the final touch: horns.

Her passion for creating began at a young age when she worked at her parents’ flower shop. She grew up spending time picking out flowers to create meaningful bouquets for special moments— from baby showers to funerals and everything in between.

Klassen knew she wanted to be a hands-on artist, but didn’t know what that would look like or which medium she would use. “I always thought I’d be a painter, but once I found mosaics, I was like, oh, this is it. This is what I want. I have not looked back.”

For Klassen, knowing when to close the curtain on a project is just as important as the creation process itself. Klassen assembles her mosaics on the ground, which means she often needs to stand on a chair to see what her creation will look like once she elevates it. “I immediately know when it’s too much,” she says. Her goal is to create intrigue, not overstimulation. “I want people to say, I could look at this forever.”

Klassen sometimes finds it difficult to part with work once it sells. 

She enjoys the artistic process of collecting items, placing them alongside one another, and connecting with her community through art. Oftentimes, what motivates her to create is the reaction her work gets from neighbours, other artists, and even strangers. Klassen knows of at least one person who altered their daily commute so they could drive by Klassen’s yard for a glimpse of her statues. It’s a bittersweet feeling. 

“It’s a powerful validation that the story, emotions, and intentions that I put into my work are felt by others that I’ve never met. This is why I create: to share, connect, and to move people. Knowing that a part of my artistic expression is now living in another city, in another home, and is loved, is incredibly humbling.”