Interview with Kat Kleinman — Contemporary Art Curator Magazine

Kat Kleinman is a floral collage artist from the Sacramento, California area. She began her career as an artist in 2016, after she retired as a psychotherapist, working with homeless people for 20 years. Her past work is referenced because it does inform her current work with a focus on positivity and making people feel better, if only for a moment.

Kat specializes in floral collages, because the individual flowers combine to create a new and cohesive form, reflective of the healing process. She takes her own photographs, with the only exception being the occasional gift of a flower photo from a personal friend. It is important to Kat that she use her own photography, because it separates the integrity of her work from those who use more impersonal internet downloads as a source. Each flower is hand cut, a process she calls meditative, and a single collage may require dozens of individual blossoms.

Kat is enthusiastic about the potential for color to positively influence emotions, ultimately leading to better relationships between people. She describes herself as saddened by the self-centered rhetoric expressed by current influential leaders, and she is dedicated to creating art inspired by compassion, meditation and right action. Her work has been featured in books, in major exhibitions in the United States, and has been recognized internationally. Kat’s work was recently seen next at the Contemporary Art Station / Shibuya Station Exhibition, 11-17 November, 2019 in Tokyo, Japan.

Could you please introduce yourself and tell us how you started in the arts? and your first experience in art making?

I am a collage artist from Northern California, and got started in the arts accidentally. I was coping with a crisis in my life, and discovered my passion for photographing flowers transformed the experience. I imagined the layered images, and found a way to replicate my vision.

How would you describe yourself and your artwork?

I am a floral collage artist, and take pictures of flowers everywhere I go. I use my own images in all my work, with the exception of an occasional flower photo given to me by a friend. No images are downloaded from internet sites because it would compromise the integrity of my work.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

My inspiration is simple - it is understanding the emotional impact of color, and its ability to make people feel better, if only for a moment.

What emotions do you hope the viewers experience when looking at your art?

I believe the positive intention behind my work, combined with the emotional impact of color, can inspire creative thought and a sense of hope.

When do you know that an artwork is finished ?

I know an artwork is finished when I sense it is balanced.

What has been the most exciting moment in your art career so far?

My work will be used to brand an international art event in May of 2020, and I am very excited about it!

How long does it take to produce one work?

It takes several days to produce one work because there are many initial steps involved, including photographing flowers, printing copies, and hand cutting every blossom, a meditative but time consuming process.

What exciting projects are you working on right now?

I just completed a very large commissioned project, where several of my works will be used as awards for a Celebrity Poker Gala in Beverly Hills, California. This was so much fun to work on!