ARTIST STATEMENT
For over 30 years, my work has explored the fragility and resilience of the body when facing its imperfections. As a BRCA gene carrier, my personal experience with cancer has shaped my artistic focus on health, wellness, and the effects of inherited generational trauma. By focusing on creating series that continually ask the question, ‘How far do we go to stay healthy?’
In addition, I have partnered with fellow artist Kelly Mathews to present, A Whisper 2 A Scream, in collaboration with the NeuroArts Blueprint. Our project explores the intersection of mental and physical health, emphasizing art’s unique role in helping us see—and heal—the whole self. We are not just minds or bodies; we are both at once.
My materials range from acrylic on canvas to layered works on plexiglass. Like our bodies, plexiglass is both fragile and strong—a perfect metaphor that reveals inner and outer layers at once, enabling me to blur the lines between mind and body. My hope is by facing our mortality, we also find meaning and build connections. Using cut-up photographs, mixed media, and paint on different surfaces, I explore how energy comes through the body within the process of making art.
ARTIST BIO
Caren Helene Rudman (b. 1964, Chicago) is an established artist and curator whose work investigates the interconnections between mind, body, art and science. With over three decades of artistic practice, her work is recognized for its layered composition, psychological depth, and symbolic storytelling.
Rudman earned her MA from New York University through a selective 56-credit program in partnership with the International Center of Photography (ICP). Since then, her work has been exhibited widely in solo and group shows, and is part of private collections across the United States and internationally.
From 2010 to 2024, she served as the staff curator at The Art Center Highland Park, where she led the conceptual direction of exhibitions and community outreach. She curated over 5o exhibitions, including solo shows highlighting artists like Ruth Weisberg, Norman Teague, and Cleveland Dean. She especially enjoined themed exhibitions with selected artists most notably, Fiber, Fashion, Feminism and The Passion Project. Whether as an artist or curator, she works under the auspices that art has the power to heal, communicate deeply, and foster connection.
In recent years, her market visibility has grown significantly, with strong sales at high-profile fairs including The Hamptons Art Fair and Aqua Art Miami.
© Caren Helene Rudman