2025, 1 0f 5, Inkjet Print, 20” x 30” inches

Project Statement - Cultivating Heart Sense

The heart utilizes neurons similar to those in the brain, with more neural pathways flowing from the heart to the brain than vice versa. This two-way communication fundamentally shapes our perception of the world. As we experience our surroundings, the heart receives and encodes information, maintaining a constant neural dialogue with the brain. Through its ability to both transmit and receive electromagnetic energy; the heart serves as a true organ of Perception. The heart sense represents a unique form of intelligence that extends beyond our Five conventional senses. Through our sensory experiences, we can cultivate a heart centered awareness that reveals our deep connection with life around us. This inner knowing of the heart awakens our intuition and imagination, drawing us naturally toward a more coherent relationship with our world. In cultivating the heart sense, we become known by other beings and we in turn come to know them deeply

Karen Olson is a lens-based artist working at the intersection of human emotion and the natural world. In her figurative and nature-inspired work, she uses concept-based projects to explore the human-nature connection and its role in fostering mental health and communication. Working in photography and paper sculpture, she employs the act of constructing, deconstructing, and reconstructing with both physical materials and digital files. Karen's process includes earth pigments, Japanese and Korean papers, and ancient art techniques. K.O.