“I’m interested in bringing to light that which is hidden or sealed within.”
Katrina Grabner is a visual artist residing within Vancouver, Canada, on the unceded Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations’ territory. Grabner was raised in Central Alberta with German, Scottish, French and Mi’kmaq (Eastern Woodlands) ancestors.
Often drawn to creating site specific installation art, Grabner creates with many mediums such as encaustic (beeswax and damar resin), ceramics, and fibre. In her work, Grabner remodels the imaged space of familial stories, using belongings, found objects and wax to present both a factual remembering and a mythological creation. Exploring themes of memory, myth and identity in her work, Grabner’s interests in cross-cultural connection, decolonization and social justice continue to inform and inspire her work. Grabner is also a founding member of Open Book Art Collective.
e-mail: katrinagrabner@gmail.com
What is encaustic art?
The word encaustic comes from the Greek word Enkaustikos, which means to burn in. It was first used three thousand years ago when ancient ship builders used the combination of wax, resin and pigments to seal, waterproof and decorate their ships. Encaustics consist of natural beeswax and dammar resin (crystallized tree sap). The medium can be used alone or it can be pigmented. Heat is used throughout the process, from melting the beeswax to fusing the layers of wax. Encaustic medium is known for its luminous, transparent, adhesive and archival qualities.
(Encaustic Art, Jennifer Margell) (Encaustic Art Institute, http://www.eainm.com/what-is-encaustic/)
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