Karen Paulina Biswell was born in 1983 to Colombian parents who emigrated to Paris escaping the extreme political violence of the early 90’s. Her varied oeuvre – which is consistently defying definition – is drawn to subjects of vulnerability morality and human fate. She is committed to capturing the lesser known aspects of contemporary life, the invisible and defiant elements of society, taking a deep interest in extreme states and the depths of the human mind and experience.
Nama Bu, in native Embera means, We Exist, and reveals a collaboration with the Native American Embera Chamis community. This is an intensely personal voyage that explores themes revolving around personal and collective identity against a backdrop of extreme beauty and violence in Colombia.
The work explores different aspects of the artist’s relationship with this unknown world. From voyeur to hostages, we adopt a way of seeing things from a comedic perspective, from fascination at first to misunderstanding, and finally to what can only be called a true revelation.
