Karyn Ho is a science animator and biomedical engineer who thrives at the interface between medicine and art. She uses her academic background as a lens, infusing her deep understanding of nature and anatomy into her figurative art.
This drawing was completed fully from life, and it's a statement that synthesizes many hours of quiet observation of a living and breathing person, with all the subtle variations that provide opportunities to make choices on what to capture on the page. Building on classical techniques, this work emphasizes the interplay of light, shadow, and form. Patiently working with only a needle-sharp pencil, the artist achieves beautiful edges and transitions that highlight the best qualities of graphite as a medium.
This drawing was included in the curated Forty Under 40 exhibition at the Joseph D. Carrier Gallery in celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the Columbus Centre in 2020, and in the Ontario Society of Artists 148th Open Juried Exhibition. It also received a full page feature in the Retrospective Catalogue for the 75th anniversary of the University of Toronto's Biomedical Communications Program.
Graphite on Strathmore