Welcome to my world
always searching, a never ending story
Karin van de Walle Epe The Netherlands
1984-1989 St. Joost School of Art & Design
Since 1989, Karin has been showcasing her work on an international platform, exhibiting in various cities across Europe. After graduating, she gained experience in working in different companies while dedicating her evenings to her passion for art. In 1994, she moved to Germany where the inspiring surroundings near Lake Constance-with breathtaking panoramic views of Switzerland and Austria-sparked a bold decision. Embracing the challenge, she founded her own company and embarked on an exciting journey as a full-time independent artist
about the process
From the moment I first put my hands in clay at the academy, I knew this was my path. But not just clay- I wanted something new, something uniquely my own. Developing my own paperclay was the beginning of a certain stubbornness, a refusal to remain with a single discipline. It wasn´t just about creating. about shaping a material to my will, but also about my love for sustainability. REcycling wasn´t a necessity for me-it was second nature. Old materials found a new life in my work, a second breath filled wiht stories and memories.
After the academy, I took a three-year break. But art kept simmering beneath the surface. When I started again, it wasn´t with clay forms. My paintings gained depth-literally. Sculpture emerged, and with each piece, my visual language expanded.
For a long time, I worked purely with clay, exploring its endless possibilities. The texture, the movement, the way it captured every impression of my hands-clay in itself was enough. But over time, I started incorporating other materials again. broadening my artistic language. What began at the academy became an ongoing dialogue between materials. Clay, paperclay, cast marble, and 3 D prints now combined with anything I can find-recyclwed glass, metal ornaments, textiles, you name it. Some sculptures are entirely ceramic, while others contain layers of carefully chosen elements tha add an extra dimension to the story.
My sculptures are more than just objects, they are stories of transformation. Old thrift store vases become statement pieces, builtform treasures of the past. Ornaments emerge form self-melted glass, handade ceramics and traditional crochet and embroidery. Every technique that seems to be fading in our digital world-I embrace. The old and new come together in my hands.
My inspiration comes from everywhere: the movement of a body, the repetition of patterns in nature, the proportions of architecture, the overwhelming imagery of our media culture. ‘Each piece naturally leads to the next, as if whispering: “What if you try this?” And I listen.
My art is a fusion of past and future, of tradition and innovation. But above all, it is an homage to the process itself-the endless game of discovery, experimentation, and creation.
Welcome to my World
make it or miss it
about the themes :
exploring the Heart of my Sculptures
Karin van de Walle creates images of women with powerful presence. One of the characteristics is that her work is so timeless. Her figures seem to radiate a kind of universal feminine strength that is not bound by age, but rather by deep inner power. This makes her work different from that of many other artists who explicitly focus on physical aspects often associated with youth and atrtractiveness.
What keeps her work credible and authentic is that she does not try to conform to society´s expectations of what a woman should be at a certain age, as we often see in mainstream media. She creates women who are confident and fully in control, The expressive poses, where women stand with their hips pushed back or in a provocative stance, are often seen as expressions of self-awareness and control.
This is essentially a transformation of the female archetypes, where she shows women who define their own strength and identity, without having to adapt to traditional images of youthful beauty or sexuality