Katherine Fraser: An Empathetic Lens
Katherine Fraser approaches her work through an empathetic lens with a desire to help others feel emotionally seen. Focusing on portraiture, Katherine embraces painting as a form of visual storytelling as she creates narratives that feel deeply personal yet still universal.
How did your creative journey begin?
I have always loved to make art, but I have to credit my young self self with asking the question, what can I not live without? when deciding where to go for college. I chose the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts because at the time it was very specialized, and would allow me to focus on painting without any distractions. Since the age of seventeen I’ve been focused on trying to make a life and a living from painting.
Where do you find inspiration for your work?
I would no longer go so far as to say my work is autobiographical, but it does come from my experiences, in a very filtered-down way. The body of work that I am currently creating comes from my feelings about modern culture vs how I feel about nature, and how I relate to both as a creative person.
How has your work evolved over time?
I have always painted people in narrative contexts. I used to use a lot of black and blue, and heavy, dramatic lighting. Over the years I have been getting lighter, more colorful, and more expressive and open with my brushwork. I’m beginning to incorporate abstract color shapes into the backgrounds, and feel less inclined to make every inch of the painting be representational, and tightly rendered.
What does a typical day in the studio look like for you, and how has your art practice grown or changed?
I need long, consecutive days to really sink my head into my larger pieces, so I’ve started also making series’ of small, thematic pieces that I can work on if I only have an hour or two in the studio that day. My studio schedule has been inconsistent lately, so I’m always looking for ways to quiet my mind, stop procrastinating, and get the paint flowing faster.
Which experiences have impacted your work as an artist?
I think that the pandemic had a huge impact on me as an artist. The fear and loss that we experienced that first year, concurrent with other tragic world events, and greater awareness of Black Lives Matter, threw me into a deeper state of empathy than I had ever experienced. My work has always been designed to communicate, to make people feel emotionally seen, but I think I really channeled that empathy into my work. I also got to paint all day, every day, while things were shut down and I couldn’t go to my job, and it was an incredible gift to focus on creating that deeply.
How has social media impacted your art career?
I am a person for whom social media and self-promotion does not come easily! It’s undeniable that the internet is where most art sales happen now, though. I have definitely stayed in touch with collectors and created many sales with social media.
What are your future goals and aspirations?
I’m still trying to get to a point where art pays all the bills. I don’t need that to feel I am successful, but I would love to spend all of my time making art, and to reach a wider audience.
Instagram: @katherinefraser / Website: katherinefraser.com
