Biography

Inspired by the colors and light of coastal landscapes, Karin Olah creates multi- layered paintings with acrylic paint, hand-dyed fabric, and vintage textiles. Karin’s subject matter ranges from seascape to abstract expressionism to a dreamy place in-between.

Karin combines her obsession with textiles and quilts, a background in fashion design in NYC, a BFA from Maryland Institute College of Art, and an ever-grow- ing fabric collection to add layers of texture to her work. She is a recipient of the Lowcountry Artist of the Year Award and an Artist-in-Residence at Palmetto Bluff. Her work has been on the cover of Charleston Magazine and featured in South- ern Living, House & Garden Magazine, and American Contemporary Art Maga- zine. Her work is in public collections at Mayo Clinic Florida, Medical University of South Carolina, Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center, JW Marriott, The Ritz-Carl- ton, Ponte Vedra Inn and Club, and Ilya Corporation in Japan. Originally from Lancaster Country, Pennsylvania, Karin has lived in Charleston, South Carolina since 2003. Karin enjoys going to the beach, playing golf, being silly with her daughters, and chasing after a naughty labradoodle named Charlie.

Artist Statement

"Fabric is something that evokes an emotional response. Soft materials can make us feel calm, relaxed, cozy, and safe. I use textiles in my paintings to suggest a connection between the beautiful places in nature and the comforting touch of a well-loved quilt. Inspiration for my subject matter comes from cloud watching at the beach, the stripes of ocean waves on the horizon, a patchwork of farm fields, the meandering thread of a creek through the marsh, and quiet time at the lake. My interpretations of landscapes focus on color and mood more than realism. In these dreamscapes, the brushstrokes are fabric."