Karen Kilimnik first drew attention in the 1990s with the distinctive "installation" approach and has since established herself as a pre-eminent contemporary painter. Kilimnik's unique practice exists firmly within the continuum of painting’s history, yet is evocative of Kilimnik’s own personal interpretations of the world. The artist's paintings depict estate interiors, animals of distinction, chateaux and country cottages, portraits of strong and mysterious women, as well as dashing suitors, and the sweeping period landscapes.  Kilimnik revisits locales and subjects and re-imagines these subjects in new narratives and settings, enriching them with references to popular, historical and occult anecdotes of her own predilection.  The artist has consistently conceived of the environment that her work is viewed in as essential to the work in itself.  Paintings are often accompanied by specific excerpts of music, and are completed by the artist’s influencing the environment within which they are installed.  More recently, Kilimnik has created  architectural structures as an aspect of her exhibition strategy.

Karen Kilimnik is represented by 303 Gallery in New York, Gallerie Eva Presenhuber in Zurich, and Spruth Magers in Berlin and London.