Exhibit: The Harmony of Contradiction

The Harmony of Contradiction: A Contemplative Path

In her first retrospective, painter and designer Karen Gatens gathers work in oils, acrylics, pastels, and mixed media, using images from nature to explore the inner search for meaning. The exhibit takes its name from a phrase that came to her at 21: “the harmony of contradiction.” More than fifty years later, these works trace how life’s contradictions can give way to something unexpected and freeing: self-acceptance.

Works available for purchase; proceeds benefit Trinity Arts.

Artist Statement

At 21, the phrase “the harmony of contradiction” popped into my mind. I knew it was true, but I didn’t know what it meant. It seems fitting that 50+ years later, my life has explained the meaning. Similar to the “law of three,” our contradictions create a third reality.