Prior to her residency at Highgreen, Karen lived and worked in Bochum, a densely populated city in Germany’s Ruhr Valley. She had exhibited and performed widely in Germany, across Europe, and in Japan, with a practice centred on installation works. These earlier pieces were often made of paper or fabric suspended on threads, exploring light, shadow, shapes, openings and interiors.

At Highgreen, she began experimenting with new forms and materials. Using grasses gathered from the estate, she created large suspended air-filled shapes inspired by natural structures such as shells, helices and cells. Fragile in appearance yet strong in construction, these works reflected the rhythms and geometries of the landscape. Reflecting on the shift, Karen wrote:

“Here surrounded by such beautiful, such ‘deep’ space, I have found a qualitative difference in the time afforded me to focus on and make art. It’s been a special honour to be welcomed into such a rural and isolated community.”

Her final exhibition included works such as Spirality: Coming Round (2002, tufted hair grasses and PVC) and Spirality: Rim to Hub (2002, tufted hair grasses and PVC), photographed by Simon Fraser. These pieces embodied the development of her sculptural language during the residency.

Community engagement was also central to Karen’s year. At West Woodburn School she collaborated with pupils to make a semi-permanent suspended piece from natural and synthetic materials for a classroom. At Greenhaugh School, she devised a work for the triangular roof void of the hall, with each child contributing elements during workshops. At Otterburn First School, children in classes 3 and 4 worked with her to produce a huge windsock from pea netting and recycled carrier bags, which caught the wind in a colourful and joyful display.