Shades of She

The female form has long symbolised the grace, wisdom and enduring acceptance of humanity. Through her connectedness, woman encompasses nature and its essence. By simplifying her physical attributes, her spirit is captured in two reflective series.

Introspective Series

Patience

Inspired by Native American Indian women, the standing maiden is a symbol of tolerance and grace. She patiently accepts her fate with a calm and open heart.

height: 66cm | clay | metallic

Serenity

The mother and child symbolise the magic of the feminine and the power of nurturing. Born out of Native American Indian influence, demonstrating the universal knowing that links all mothers.

height: 43cm | clay | metallic

Calm

The cross-legged woman is centred and serene. Her posture is taken from the meditative attitude of the Hopi Indians, yet her feminine spirit is boundless and flows through women worldwide.
height: 40cm | clay | metallic

Expressive Series

Alertness

A statement of feminine strength, the kneeling woman embodies both calm and the potential for movement, in the same way as the strong American Indian women were the foundation of their people.

height: 33cm | clay | metallic

Awareness

The reclining woman straddles continents in her collective appeal. Her proud gaze is cast over her shoulder and denotes learning from the past but focusing on the future in order to remain balanced in the present.

height: 24cm | width: 43cm | clay | metallic

Awakening

Connected to the flow of the universe and her true self, the open woman reveals a sense of inner strength and beauty that allows her to access all things with a compelling sense of oneness.

height: 40cm | clay | metallic

Man
Re-made

Life is about balance: reality and dreams, sun and moon, man and woman. As Karen Nebe traveled and developed an appreciation for the culture of Native American Indian Warriors, a significant romance revived her appreciation of the male composition, and masculine form became the subject of her creations. Muscular, strong, agile men are revealed as hunters, providers, protectors, explorers. As such the works are more anatomically meticulous, filled with power and potential movement.

Potency

His hands salute his purpose, as his eyes shut with intent. Body terse, the kneeling man leans into the movement. Here every little detail is considered. Informed by a statue in Santa Fe New Mexico, he is an icon of powerful physicality harnessed in meditation.
height: 35cm | clay | metallic

Balance

Composed and stoic, the yogic pose suggests contemplation and centeredness, while open hands signal nobility and trueness. The work is a tribute to Karen’s yoga master. Through him, the spirituality of the ancients is articulated, as linked in trance, prayer, yoga and similar practices.

height: 40cm | clay | metallic

Inspiration

Mankind’s greatest distinction is the ability to wonder. Here, man is actively engaged in imagining. Thought, conception, ingenuity. His posture is composed and filled with possibility. His contemplation calm and eternal.
height: 50cm | clay | metallic

Culturally Connected

Ancient cultures have long been connected through the earth, spiritual overlaps, similar approaches to arts and craft, and universal beliefs. These are the sacred vanishing cultures, and this series of busts is Karen Nebe’s salute to their enduring oneness.

Mother Earth

Inspired by Native American Indian maternal figures that represent the wisdom and wealth of nature.

height: 44cm | black clay

San Wise Woman

The African ancient feminine, fearless yet waning. A symbol of enduring nobility in the shifting sands of modern times.

height: 44cm|black clay