Karen Lopez is a first-generation Mexican American artist. Her work blends reclaimed timber and wood with repurposed industrial copper and steel. In her short time working with these materials, she has transformed them completely from their original states and has created something that lives and breathes into a space. Works that radiate the raw energy of metal and the refinement of fine woods. Her illustrations are calm and detailed, precise and energetic. Accented by the striking blues and greens of forced patina, her works are both intense and restrained, vibrant yet composed.

Her fascination with copper began generations ago in her family’s collective memory. Her father and Grandfather, both miners of copper and other precious metals, spent their lives seeking luminous ores in the desert mountains of Zacatecas. In her home town of Chalchuites, Copper ore scatters the mountainous terrain, dotting the landscape with turquoise and emerald tones. Memories of walking through those mountains create a gravity that draws her ever closer to these precious materials and continues to influence her work to this day.

Karen is a diligent creator. Improving upon her techniques and designs with every iteration. If you love her work today, follow her on her journey and be amazed by what comes next.