Throughout the month of March, we’re taking a moment to recognize the many talented women who fill the studios, shops, and hallways of ReCreative Denver.
As the co-founder of ReCreative Denver and Seattle ReCreative, Emily Korson (she/her) is the rock of our organization. On top of spearheading ReCreative’s efforts, she’s also an artist and art educator.
She began making artwork that relates to the body when her husband began medical school. During this time, Emily was also experiencing some health issues. Through these demanding times, she discovered an interest in exploring relationships through her art — focusing on the body allowed her to connect with herself and her spouse.
Emily’s work is filled with themes of illness, mortality, and intimacy. Her drawings and paintings are often inspired by clinical photographs of the body found in medical literature. She’ll occasionally combine these with photorealistic renderings of still-life photography and her own written meditations on love and loss.
A common medium in her pieces involves the use of layers of visceral, translucent media (like vellum and wax) to investigate the complicated experiences of love, illness, and loss. This is her way of exploring the relationship between interior and exterior and to express her experiences in and around the body.
“Ultimately, my hope is that the work gives rise to questions of ontology, rather than explanations of physiology. At a fundamental level, these works seek to find meaning and beauty in the face of suffering and loss.”
Along with her personal experiences, Emily draws a lot of inspiration from the relationships she has with her family and close friends. But, simply being around art and artists is probably what inspires her the most. While ReCreative has given her a platform to steward sustainability in the creative space, it also exposes her to creators of all mediums.
The opportunity to connect with studio mates, staff, shoppers, volunteers, and workshop members makes all of her involvement with ReCreative all the sweeter.
Learn more about ReCreative and Emily’s vision for environmental stewardship >