Karen Wicks is a Midlands based artist interested in using simple and accessible low-fi home printmaking techniques to develop a visual language to capture the untold story of derelict and forgotten buildings. Her work captures the presence and intrigue of these abandoned structures through intaglio print techniques, using recycled packaging which becomes fragile and disintegrates over time, reflecting the transience of the ‘ghost buildings’ that inspire her.

Karen is influenced by the concept of ‘wabi sabi’, the celebration of imperfection and impermanence and she seeks to capture the ordinary using mundane materials in her process.

Winner of the Banks Mill Studios Award (2023)