About me

My Story

Into the forest I went after a heavy rain. The storm had torn trees off the ground and cracked cliffs into two. My feet could feel the ground still trembling, scared of the thunder. So many fallen branches and ruined flowers, and the still living roots sticking towards the sky, reaching up and begging for help - all melting together into a portrait of utter chaos.

The silence wrapped me into its arms and invited me to enjoy the post apocalyptic calmness and harmony. Standing at the ruins of a life once known and the forced space for a new one. My bare feet comfortably on the wet moss,

realising that the fresh air had never tasted so good before.

 

 

The Artist

I am Katharina Schmidt, a contemporary artist from Helsinki, Finland. Art has always been the way for me to observe the world and work through experiences - whether it was as a kid late at night under candle light at my summer house or preparing my next exhibition in my studio in Helsinki. Each art work has a story, a purpose, a personality.
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I have the honour to work with international art agencies, ship my art to collectors worldwide and hold exhibitions to share how I view the world. I have been trained by multiple professional artists and am currently honing my skills at the Repin Institute with a focus on Russian classicism.

 

The Purpose

The purpose of my art is to surprise and fulfil, to bring peace and excitement. I am a rebel and I want to shake you at times - the best part of art is it has no boundaries and it has no rules that must be obliged.

That is because art is real.
Art is freedom.
Art is the unbearable bliss of existence.





 

Wearable Art

UNIQUE

The idea for ’Wearable Art by Katharina Schmidt’ came from my deep love for making art and for beautiful scandinavian design. It is an opportunity to join art and products in a common dance. It is an extension of the language I speak as a creator, and it is also a statement.

In a world that is sick to its stomach with the copy culture and overproduction, we look for individuality, meaningfulness and durability. A personal touch and a bond to the things around us holds so much value. The presence of art has been proven to calm the mind, improve wellbeing and even improve brain functionality. It helps us visualize and recognize colors even better.

And we should be celebrating our unique colors - I want to be a part of building a world where they, in all their shades, are seen as a strength and not as an abnormality.

BOLD

Like a piece of art, each one of us is unique. A ready planned life or a neatly labeled box is rarely the answer to creating a life that is yours. Stepping outside the limits of what is considered normal is an act of courage, and it is also an act of self love. Boldness can mean many things, but I think there is always an element of stretching the limit of comfort. I have never really fitted the expected and oh how good it feels to find that accepting the things that make you different and praising the unique, actually is the secret sauce of creating a magical place for yourself in the world.

SUSTAINABLE 

Sustainability is a topic very close to my heart and at ’Wearable Art’ it stands for a few different things.

Choosing ecological always when possible. It is key that we build a world where also after the life cycle of a loved item has ended, it returns to earth or can be recycled. Art materials and paints can sometimes be a challenge, but the decisions on how we use them play a huge role in their environment impact.

All materials are sourced from local entrepreneurs. I always choose buying from my colleague entrepreneurs when the option is available. In the current world it is far too easy to take over large parts of the market as major corporations, and it is they buyers decision to make whether we want to influence the spread of economical democracy. The price that might come on top of that is well worth it to me.

All Wearable Art products are manufactured in Finland. Ordering from local companies and creating work for the people who live in homes next to us is a large priviledge that I always strive for. It also makes all the sense in the world, because the quality of local producers is yet to be met. Manufacturing locally also decreases environment impact as items do not need to be shipped long distances.

CREATIVE

Each of the Wearable Art pieces are inspired by my art works. The collection is a manifest for inspiration and I want the products to reflect individual creativity, vision and style. Because just like people, art should never be boxed in. We shouldn’t be labelled to only do one thing, as we shouldn’t tie paint to only canvas. Creativity should live and expand naturally, and the surroundings should be built to enable that.