Meet the Artist

Kristen McClarty’s artwork tells the story of a person in a space, surrounded by the accumulated memories of self and others. Her work explores the concept that lived experiences leave traces in a place, recorded on surfaces such as rock, droplets of water, and suspended particles in air and liquid. This residual energy, reluctant to dissipate, pools in the space or layers itself as a palimpsest on the environment’s structure.

Her art practice is diverse, encompassing printmaking, natural mark-making, and stitched work. McClarty’s approach involves borrowing techniques and elements from one medium to enrich the others, resulting in a cohesive body of work that integrates these various practices.

McClarty has exhibited extensively in South Africa and the UK, and her artwork is represented in both private and public collections in South Africa, as well as in private collections abroad.

kristenmcclartyart.com | @kristenmcclarty_art