Karen Thomas
Karen Thomas (b.1963/UK) is acclaimed for her pop-culture figures and loosely dynamic painting style. While her infamous superhero collections reconstruct well-known characters’ identities with wild expressionism, her postcard collectibles transpose celebrities into small, but utterly enigmatic portraits. In doing so, Karen Thomas has created a distinguished style, recognisable for its thick and vivacious brushstrokes.
She has shown both individually and in group exhibitions at The Other Art Fair (London, Bristol, Brooklyn, Los Angeles, Chicagoe) and Art Below ( London New Orleans, Los Angeles), SELECT Art Fair, New York, Affordable Art Fair, Hamburg and the Berliner and Kölner Liste. Her work has also been included in the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, featured on the culture show and identified by Rebecca Wilson, Chief Curator at Saatchi Art as a ‘must-see’ artist.She lives and works in Montpellier, France and is currently resident at Ateliers Tropime.
EXHIBITIONS (Selected)
2024
'Puppy love', TBA
2023
'Silver Screen', Agnès b, Montpellier
'Director's Cut', Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair, London
The Other Art Fair, Los Angeles
'Déjeunons sur l'herbe', Le Réservoir, Sète
Mad'Lab art residency, Maison Tabouriech, Etang de Thau
Le Carreau du Temple, Solid'art Paris
2022
No country for old women', Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair, London
DUO MIX #1 Philippe Jacq Karen Thomas, A+ Architecture, Montpellier
'Two Doors', TartGalleryLondon at the House of Saint Barnabas, London
The Other Avatars', NFT collection for Saatchi'art inspired by the self-portraits of Van Gogh
2021
TartGalleryLondon
The Other Art Fair, virtual editions
Maison Contemporain, Paris
Zebra One Gallery, London
Together through Painting, London Paint Club
Postcards from the Edge, Visual Aids, NY
2020
The Invitational 1, Unit 1 Gallery Workshop, London
The Pilgrm, London
From my eyes, R.Cline Arts, Las Vegas
Artonapostcard, London
2019
Radical Residency IV, Unit 1 Gallery Workshop, London
The Pilgrim, London
Y SI EL T IEMPO NO LO IMPIDE, A+ Architecture, Montpellier
The Other Art Fair, L.A., and London, King's Cross
Villa Bel Air, Montpellier
Superfine L.A.
Les Voeux de Saint Denis, creation of a limited edition screenprint for la
ville de Saint-Denis, Paris with Anagraphis
2018
The Other Art Fair, Mana Contemporary, Chicago and Victoria House, London
Slade Summer School, London
'3 Femmes dans la vll'e, Espace Bagouet, Montpellier
Art Muc, Munich
RPAF, Oxo Wharf Tower, London
The Other Art Fair, Los Angeles
2017
Artonapostcard
Accessible Art Fair, BOZAR, Brussels
The Other Art Fair, Arnolfini, Bristol
Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, Main Galleries, Burlington House, London
The Other Art Fair, NYC, Brooklyn Expo Center
Catherine et Moi, Galerie leCoeur Paris
Kölner Liste, Cologne
The Other Art Fair, Victoria House, London
Art Below, Los Angeles, Grand Union Station
Postcards from the Edge, Visual Aids, New York
2016
The Other Art Fair, London and Bristol
Art Below, New Orleans
Weissenhaus, Gallery Nimmesgernsternberg off-site
Postcards from the Edge, Visual Aids, NY
Art on a Postcard at Moniker
Festival de vins d'Aniane, Benefit auction
2015
Affordable Art Fair, Hamburg
The Other Art Fair, London
SELECT Art Fair NYC
Auction for Elephant Haven, Kate Garner with Rosebery’s, London
Postcards from the Edge for Visual Aids, New York
International Postcard Show, Surface Gallery, Nottingham
‘Véhicules: Auto, Moto, Vélo, train avion et Bateau’, MIAM, Sète, France
2014
Factory-Gallery, Truman Brewery, London
Berliner Lister, Berlin
Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, London
The Other Art Fair, London
Postcards from the Edge, New York
The International Postcard Show, Surface Gallery, Nottingham
Salonely, Members' Show, Embassy Gallery, Edinburgh
2013
Peintresx6, Montpellier
Pictovirus, Yann Dumoget, and Karen Thomas, collages and drawings
Art Below at Regent's Park underground station
Salon d'automne, Paris
Karen Thomas illustrates Stéphane Mallarmé, Le nénuphar blanc, Collection Parce que des Editions Luis Casinada (artist's book)
Barcelona Showcase, Casa Battlo, Barcelona
Postcards from the Edge, Visual Aids, New York
International postcard show, Surface Gallery, Nottingham
2012
Art Below, Regent's Park Underground Station, London
Jean Cocteau, Unique et Multiple, Musée Fabre Montpellier (A Shelley, Editions Luis Casinada)
2007
Festival du Roman Noir, Musée de Frontignan
2003
Des nus et des nues ou les aventures de la Percheronne 1853-2003, Musée Gustave Courbet, Ornans
2002
Louis Philippe Vivien et Karen Thomas, Galerie Jean-Yves Franch Font, Montpellier
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2023
Silver Screen', Agnès b, Montpellier
2010
Miscellaneous, Galerie Saint Ravy, Montpellier
2008
Karen Thomas, Peintures, Galerie Yves Faurie, Sète
2006
Portraits de Quartier, La Baignoire, Montpellier
(Series of fifty portraits, texts by Magali-Wiéner)
2002
Hommage à un Musée, Galerie Jean-Yves Franch Font, Montpellier
