Printmaker Karen Wicks will be showcasing a collection of her latest works. Her exhibition entitled ‘Exploring the Beauty of Impermanence’, is a collection of handmade prints inspired by derelict and forgotten places. Her work explores themes of architecture and urban exploration.
Part of Karen’s process is her commitment to sustainability. Embracing low-fi home print-techniques and using minimal resources. However, it is the recycled packaging—once utilitarian, now delicate—that truly mirrors the subject matter; like these ‘ghost buildings,’ her prints evolve, disintegrate, and transform over time.
“My artistic journey is intertwined with the silent echoes of derelict buildings—their forgotten stories, their crumbling facades, and the whispers of lives once lived within their walls. My work invites you to linger, to explore the beauty hidden in decay, and to honour the fleeting existence of forgotten places.”
“Derelict structures hold a peculiar allure for me: their presence, like lingering ghosts, invite contemplation. Through intaglio print techniques, I strive to capture this haunting essence—the weight of time, the layers of history, and the quiet intrigue that clings to abandoned spaces. Every cracked brick, every weathered beam tells a story. The mundane corners of forgotten factories, boarded-up houses, and overgrown courtyards become my muse. Their whispers guide my hand as I etch their essence onto recycled flattened boxes and discarded packaging.”
You can visit the exhibition, on show at Banks Mill’s Foyer gallery space from Monday 15th April to Wednesday the 22nd May.
