Artist Statement
My work is reactionary to the environment—both psychological and physical. Each person interacts with space in a unique way, and those interactions trigger deeply personal sensations. Through the process of printmaking, I respond to these sensations by creating meditative, structured compositions. Repetition and form offer a kind of sanctuary—one that I build layer by layer, navigating between chaos and calm.
Printmaking, with its deliberate and tactile nature, allows me to reflect on the human experience of navigating space and relationships. Just as we constantly adapt to our surroundings and to one another, I adapt to the challenges of the printmaking process—transforming them into something more cohesive and whole. My choice to work primarily limited color, invites closer inspection of form, surface, and nuance. Each layer becomes a space to explore, a place to get lost.
Although my work could be created more precisely using new technologies, I intentionally preserve the artist’s hand in every element—from the carving of the matrix to the inking of the plate and the pull of each print. I use a method originally intended for mass production to create singular, intimate works of art.
Biography
Chanel is a geometric abstract artist working primarily in drawing and printmaking, often incorporating mixed media paper to explore texture, depth, and dimensionality. Originally from Sacramento, California, she has recently returned to her hometown after living and working abroad for 10 years.
She graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts with an emphasis in Printmaking from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2013 and studied at Central Saint Martins in London in 2012. In 2015, she completed a postgraduate program in printmaking at the Wrocław School of Printmaking in Poland, where she also co-organized group exhibitions and curated portfolios of fellow artists in residence. From 2016 through 2024, she lived and worked throughout Australia.
In addition to her studio practice, Chanel has worked with artists including the Haas Brothers and Michael Schmidt in Los Angeles, gaining experience in metalwork with silver and copper. While based in Sydney, she worked out of The Workshop Arts Centre in Willoughby, NSW, and was an active member of the North Sydney Printmaking Association, serving as Acting Secretary for two years and helping coordinate exhibitions and build community among local printmakers.
Chanel’s work often explores the intersection between organic experience and structured environments. Her fascination with the grid began while living in Chicago, the first major U.S. city to implement a grid plan after the Great Fire of 1871. The simplicity, lack of hierarchy, and quiet order of the grid became a recurring element in her work—forming a foundation from which even the most organic shapes emerge.
Photo Below: Action shot from Final exhibition for Residency in Wroclaw Poland.
