About the Artist

Kara Lee's work is primarily acrylic paintings on canvas.  The beauty of Southern California, where she's been a resident since 2003, has largely inspired her recent artwork. Palm trees, tropical flowers, succulents and beaches are among her latest interests. “Nature is my starting point but not my final destination,” says the artist. Transcending their visible reality, she brings them alive with the emotional force of vibrant colors, simplicity of form, and emphasis on the core object.  Her mission is to create images that can convey a sense of pleasure to the viewer, whether it is joy, peace, or tranquility.  

Her artwork has  gone through different phases, influenced by such great Masters as Picasso, Matisse, and more recently, Georgia O’Keeffe. Kara is greatly motivated by O’Keeffe’s approach, which O'Keeffe summed up as “It is only by selection, by elimination, by emphasis that we get at the real meaning of things.”  Kara makes a keen observation of nature and transports her experiences onto the canvas. While she tries to re-create the feeling and essence of what caught her attention, she makes changes here and there and leaves out detail.  Kara loves color, and working with acrylics allows her to record her colorful impressions almost as quickly as her mind processes the subject. The artist describes her paintings as contemporary abstract Fauvism, since they project the combined effects of the vibrant colors of the Fauves and the dynamic style of modern abstraction.

 A banker-turned artist, Kara’s 15-year career in the international banking industry has helped her broaden her horizons and master her meticulous creative abilities.  She was born in Korea, has lived in three continents, and now divides her time between  Southern CA and Seoul.  She holds a B.A. degree in fine art and business administration from the College of Saint Teresa (MN).  Her work is currently on view at the Artist Eye Gallery in Laguna Beach, CA as well as in private collections both locally and internationally.  She is a member of Orange County Fine Arts and a signature member of International Society of Acrylic Painters.