Gallery Artists: Karen Meninno a.k.a. Kiran

Karen was born in New Delhi, India and raised in London, England. She gained a computer degree in the UK and moved to Boston ten years ago. She pursued studies in Fashion Design and Interior Design. She graduated with distinction, from Massachusetts College of Art & Design with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Sculpture.

The themes in Karen’s sculpture and other media investigate issues of culture, identity, alienation, ambiguity, and the concept of home. Her work is driven by the action of wrapping and binding in her sculptural work. Material has been cut up, torn, stitched, knotted, wrapped, beaded and pinned to form soft sculptures. There is repetition of traditional thread-wrapping, ornament and controlled binding. The Indian ideal is to be beautiful but in so being, the traditional dress can become restrictive – a universal dilemma for women.

"I enjoy the physicality of manipulating materials in an obsessive way which is a circular motion that goes away from me and comes back to me. This acts as a metaphor for being simultaneously drawn to and repulsed by the Indian culture."

She has formed her own imaginary country Indaly which investigates the concept of countries and citizenship in an aesthetic manner.

Check out more images at www.hydeparkopenstudios.org

Title: Black Thread Woman
Media: Mixed Media Sculpture, 52"x26"x12",2006

Title: Hairbuns
Media: Mixed Media Sculpture Installation, dimensions vary, 2006

Title: Salwar Kameez
Media: Mixed Media Sculpture, 53"x22"x16",2007

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