About Karolina

From her artist studio set in a picturesque garden located in the heart of the Victorian Central Highlands, Karolina has burnished an arts practice borne of her passion to nurture the divine within.

Through observing the natural world during her childhood in a rainforest, Karolina developed a deep understanding of the unification of physics and the esoteric. Her mindscapes are distorted impressions of the world as she perceives it: fractal in nature, sublime memories of the architecture of sensuality.

Karolina is an accomplished studio practitioner whose pursuit is excellence. She has an honours degree in visual arts majoring in iconography and literature with minor studies in sculpture and psychology.

Passionate about the environment and the welfare of children, Karolina explores themes that communicate hope. Her publishing label, Sweet Dreams Enterprise, tells the narrative of being and belonging and imparts the wisdom that life is a privilege.

Portrait Commission Artist
Karolina artist
1993 – current
Karolina paints portraits that span a fusion of photorealistic, surreal and psychedelic image styles. Her fine art works as a commissioned portrait artist are held in collections throughout the world.

Publisher
Sweet Dreams Enterprise
2008 – current
Self-publisher of quality hardcover children’s books and art books. (sole trader)

Artist
Ladylini and the Castle of Creativity
1993 – current
Karolina sculpts works that encompass 2D and 3D designs in a broad range of sculptural mediums including bronze, recycled metal, stone, paper, wood and textiles.

Her graphic design folio work has included conceptual layouts for small business and her structural design prints have included landscaping, interior and stage sets.

Illustrator
Ladylini and the Castle of Creativity
2008 – 2014
As an illustrator and designer, Karolina’s pieces have included work for her publishing business, Sweet Dreams Enterprise and between 2000 and 2003 she illustrated textbooks and educational materials for the Association of Independent Schools of Victoria.

Patternmaker
Karolina artist
January 1995 – 2012
Creator of sophisticated templates in wire, fabric or cardboard.

Facilitator
Creative Waste Workshops
1995 – 1998
As a facilitator for Creative Waste Workshops, Karolina taught simple but effective skills and techniques for construction projects. Creative Waste Workshops was a venture introduced to early childhood learning through Children’s Services within the municipality of Moreland and supported by Moreland City Council. The projects designed were created from recycled packaging without the use of glue or sticky tape but to withstand initial rigors of play.

Winner:
2003 Most outstanding exhibit – Clunes Agricultural Show
2003 Acrylic/Oil Prize, Ballarat A & P Society
2003 Winner – WASA Memorial Arts Prize
2002 Competition, Hepburn Shire Gateway Sign
1994 Cadbury National Halloween Poster Competition
1991 Drawing Prize – Malanda Art Society
1991 Innisfail District Prize for Sculpture
1988 Drawing Award – Hinchinbrook Shire (Acquisitive)
1988 Most Popular Exhibit – Hinchinbrook Shire

Finalist:
1992 North Queensland Fashion Awards
1990 Macmillan Prize for Children’s Picture Book Illustration

Semi-finalist:
2017 Doug Moran National Portrait Prize
2015 Doug Moran National Portrait Prize

Solo Exhibitions:
2015 PANORAMA, PETALS & PLACE – When I met you in the Summer (Clunes)
2005 MYKONS – Dimensions to the Divine (Ballarat)
1992 RAVE ART – A Psychological profile (Townsville)

Works in collections:
Artworks held in private collections in Australia, Ireland, Switzerland, Hong Kong, United Kingdom

Residencies:
China, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Venice

Publication:
Concetta the Pig’s Secret to Happiness – Sweet Dreams Enterprise (2012)

Over the past twenty years, Karolina has perfected her own individual technique of sculpturing she aptly names Woolstitchforming. This discipline resolves working with wool to represent the natural world through the expression of a needle and thread. A simple coil and over stitch method produces the astounding results from years of observation in her varied arts practice.