Karen van de Vliet
Expressive abstract paintings inspired by nature and everyday beauty
Karen van de Vliet is a Dutch visual artist whose abstract, colourful paintings are inspired by nature, movement, and the quiet poetry of everyday life. Guided by music, she enters a meditative creative state where emotion and intuition take the lead. Her works are expressive, layered, and full of texture, offering a fresh perspective on imperfection and transformation.
More about the artist
Karen van de Vliet’s artistic practice is centred around the beauty of imperfection. She draws inspiration from unintentional shapes and traces, the worn textures of pavements, weathered surfaces, or the cracks that emerge over time. These visual cues become the foundation for her abstract compositions, in which colour, rhythm and material come together.
In recent years, Karen has deepened her focus on the materiality of painting. Her works have become increasingly sculptural, with thick layers of paint building up across the surface, sometimes even extending beyond the edges of the canvas or frame. This tactile quality adds a new dimension to her practice, making the physical presence of each painting stronger and more immersive.
Water remains an important reference in her work, not only in its visual qualities, but also in its unpredictable nature. Just like flowing water, her process is fluid and intuitive, shaped by movement, time, and transformation. By combining different pigments and techniques, she explores the interplay between deliberate gesture and unconscious mark-making.
Her recent series, Bubblegum, marks a bold and playful chapter in her practice. Dominated by vivid shades of pink, these works feature sculptural layers of paint applied directly by hand or tool, allowing the material to shape itself. The rounded forms and glossy textures evoke not only joy and immediacy, but also a sense of nostalgia, memories of sweetness, lightness, and carefree moments. With this series, Karen translates fleeting impressions into tactile, emotionally charged artworks that invite both a smile and a moment of reflection.
Karen’s paintings are available in a variety of sizes and are ready to hang. Collectors are drawn to her ability to translate atmosphere and emotion into material form, creating artworks that are both visually striking and emotionally resonant.
View the recent available paintings by Karen van de Vliet
By Karen van der Vliet
24 × 19 cm, 2026
Mixed acrylic paint on cotton, framed
In Translucent XV, Dutch contemporary artist Karen van de Vliet explores the interplay between transparency, colour and material. Translucent layers partially reveal the underlying composition, while vivid orange and yellow lines contrast with milky white tones and dark accents. Rough textures and irregular edges give this small abstract artwork a distinctly tactile and sculptural quality. Extending beyond its wooden frame, Translucent XV moves between abstract painting, mixed-media art and contemporary wall sculpture. The work responds subtly to changing light, revealing new colours, textures and details from different angles.
This work will be shipped within the Netherlands and Belgium at no additional cost, securely and with tracking.
By Karen van der Vliet
40 × 30 cm, 2026
Mixed mixed on cotton, framed
With Translucent II, Karen van de Vliet combines soft areas of colour with sharp vertical lines and translucent layers. Shades of pale blue, pink, black and white create a composition that feels both energetic and calm. The surface reveals traces of the making process, allowing material and colour to remain visible beneath the upper layers. The work brings a sense of lightness and depth to a space and interacts subtly with natural daylight.
This work will be shipped within the Netherlands and Belgium at no additional cost, securely and with tracking.
By Karen van der Vliet
40 × 30 cm, 2026
Mixed mixed on cotton, framed
In Translucent I, Karen van de Vliet explores the relationship between transparency, colour and material. Layers of transparant materials and paint overlap and partially conceal one another, creating a composition that shifts with the changing light. Soft blue tones, bright yellow accents and areas of white and black give the work a sense of balance while preserving its spontaneous character. The sculptural surface brings depth to the piece, making it equally suited to contemporary interiors and carefully assembled gallery walls.
This work will be shipped within the Netherlands and Belgium at no additional cost, securely and with tracking.
By Karen van der Vliet
30 × 25 cm, 2026
Mixed mixed on cotton, framed
Transparant IX is part of Karen van de Vliet's ongoing Transparant series, in which colour and material are treated as physical elements rather than images. Built up in translucent layers of mixed media, the work shifts between painting and object, revealing subtle changes in depth, texture and light.
Through contrasts between soft tones and stronger accents, Van de Vliet creates compositions that remain open and in motion. The surface invites a slower look, allowing new relationships between colour, transparency and gesture to emerge over time.
This work will be shipped within the Netherlands and Belgium at no additional cost, securely and with tracking.
By Karen van der Vliet
40 × 30 cm, 2026
Mixed mixed on cotton, framed
Karen van de Vliet creates layered abstract paintings in which colour, transparency and material become central elements. Working with mixed media, she builds sculptural surfaces that shift between painting and object, allowing forms to emerge and occasionally extend beyond the canvas.
Her contemporary artworks explore the relationship between colour, space and perception. Through transparency, density and gesture, each painting remains open and in motion, revealing new layers over time and encouraging a sense of curiosity and play.
This work will be shipped within the Netherlands and Belgium at no additional cost, securely and with tracking.
By Karen van der Vliet
23 × 18 cm, 2025
Mixed acrylic paint on cotton, framed
With Poppie, Karen van de Vliet introduces a playful new series inspired by a handmade doll she once created for her son. The works carry that same sense of softness and affection, combining sculptural layers of paint with materials such as acrylic mediums, sand and other textural additives that give each piece its own distinctive surface and depth.
As with her previous work, the material leads the way. Colour is applied intuitively, pushed and pulled until it settles into rounded forms that extend beyond the edges of the canvas. The result sits between painting and object: vivid, tactile pieces that translate memory, touch and chance into an immediate visual language.
This series highlights Karen’s ongoing exploration of materiality, colour and texture, qualities that make her work increasingly sought-after among collectors looking for expressive, highly physical contemporary painting.
This work will be shipped within the Netherlands and Belgium at no additional cost, securely and with tracking.
By Karen van der Vliet
23 × 18 cm, 2025
Mixed acrylic paint on cotton, framed
Poppie XXX10 is part of Karen van de Vliet's ongoing Poppie series, in which colour and material are allowed to expand beyond the boundaries of the canvas. Built up in translucent layers of mixed media, the work balances soft pastel tones with vivid fluorescent accents and subtle shifts in transparency.
Moving between painting and object, the composition remains open and fluid. Changes in light and perspective reveal new relationships between colour, depth and material, giving the work a playful and constantly evolving presence.
This work will be shipped within the Netherlands and Belgium at no additional cost, securely and with tracking.
By Karen van der Vliet
23 × 18 cm, 2026
Mixed acrylic paint on cotton, framed
In the Bubblegum series, Karen van de Vliet explores the physical boundaries of painting. Her work moves beyond the flat surface, developing into a relief-like terrain where thick paint accumulates and expands into an almost sculptural form.
Working with a dense and viscous medium, she builds layered structures that suggest organic formations or microscopic landscapes. The compositions remain abstract, yet distinctly physical: the gesture is embedded in the surface, and movement and pressure remain visible.
Colour plays a defining role in this series. In Bubblegum, Van de Vliet uses bold and luminous tones that contrast with the weight and density of the material. This tension between playful colour and physical intensity gives the work its character.
These paintings approach abstraction as a material process, where paint itself becomes the central subject rather than merely a carrier of colour.
This work will be shipped within the Netherlands and Belgium at no additional cost, securely and with tracking.
By Karen van der Vliet
23 × 18 cm, 2025
Mixed acrylic paint on cotton, framed
With Poppie, Karen van de Vliet introduces a playful new series inspired by a handmade doll she once created for her son. The works carry that same sense of softness and affection, combining sculptural layers of paint with materials such as acrylic mediums, sand and other textural additives that give each piece its own distinctive surface and depth.
As with her previous work, the material leads the way. Colour is applied intuitively, pushed and pulled until it settles into rounded forms that extend beyond the edges of the canvas. The result sits between painting and object: vivid, tactile pieces that translate memory, touch and chance into an immediate visual language.
This series highlights Karen’s ongoing exploration of materiality, colour and texture, qualities that make her work increasingly sought-after among collectors looking for expressive, highly physical contemporary painting.
This work will be shipped within the Netherlands and Belgium at no additional cost, securely and with tracking.
By Karen van der Vliet
23 × 18 cm, 2025
Mixed acrylic paint on cotton, framed
With Poppie, Karen van de Vliet introduces a playful new series inspired by a handmade doll she once created for her son. The works carry that same sense of softness and affection, combining sculptural layers of paint with materials such as acrylic mediums, sand and other textural additives that give each piece its own distinctive surface and depth.
As with her previous work, the material leads the way. Colour is applied intuitively, pushed and pulled until it settles into rounded forms that extend beyond the edges of the canvas. The result sits between painting and object: vivid, tactile pieces that translate memory, touch and chance into an immediate visual language.
This series highlights Karen’s ongoing exploration of materiality, colour and texture, qualities that make her work increasingly sought-after among collectors looking for expressive, highly physical contemporary painting.
This work will be shipped within the Netherlands and Belgium at no additional cost, securely and with tracking.
By Karen van der Vliet
22 × 17 cm, 2025
Mixed acrylic paint on cotton, framed
With Poppie, Karen van de Vliet introduces a playful new series inspired by a handmade doll she once created for her son. The works carry that same sense of softness and affection, combining sculptural layers of paint with materials such as acrylic mediums, sand and other textural additives that give each piece its own distinctive surface and depth.
As with her previous work, the material leads the way. Colour is applied intuitively, pushed and pulled until it settles into rounded forms that extend beyond the edges of the canvas. The result sits between painting and object: vivid, tactile pieces that translate memory, touch and chance into an immediate visual language.
This series highlights Karen’s ongoing exploration of materiality, colour and texture, qualities that make her work increasingly sought-after among collectors looking for expressive, highly physical contemporary painting.
This work will be shipped within the Netherlands and Belgium at no additional cost, securely and with tracking.
By Karen van der Vliet
23 × 18 cm, 2025
Mixed acrylic paint on cotton, framed
Poppie XXX #7 is a small abstract mixed media artwork by Dutch artist Karen van de Vliet. Thick layers of pastel blue material partially cover a composition of soft pinks, fluorescent orange, pale green and gestural black accents beneath. The paint extends over the edges of the canvas and interacts directly with the wooden frame, creating a work that sits between painting and sculpture. Through colour, texture and layering, Karen van de Vliet explores material tension, surface and spontaneity within a compact format.
This work will be shipped within the Netherlands and Belgium at no additional cost, securely and with tracking.
By Karen van de Vliet
120 × 90 cm, 2026
Mixed acrylic paint on cotton, framed
In Translucent IX, Karen van de Vliet explores the unexpected beauty of a stain: an irregular form that seems accidental yet is carefully composed. Her fascination with such shapes began in childhood, through encounters with ordinary things that appeared both beautiful and slightly off, such as autumn leaves gathered in a puddle.
Translucent materials allow colours and traces from underlying layers to remain visible. Pale blue, black and off-white are interrupted by narrow lines and vivid accents of red, yellow and fluorescent pink. Some elements appear to flow downwards, while thicker areas of paint sit prominently on the surface. The result is a tactile abstract painting that shifts between movement and stillness, precision and chance.
Delivery within the Netherlands and Belgium is arranged in consultation, either in person or securely shipped.
By Karen van de Vliet
80 × 60 cm, 2026
Mixed acrylic paint on cotton, framed
In Translucent XIII, Karen van de Vliet approaches painting as both image and physical object. Translucent materials extend across the surface like overlapping veils, while thick passages of pale blue, white and deep navy introduce weight and texture.
Vertical lines hold the composition together and form a counterpoint to the irregular contours of the painted layers. Amber tones and small accents of yellow, red and pink remain visible through and alongside the more opaque areas. The work changes subtly with the light, continually shifting the balance between transparency, colour and material presence.
Delivery within the Netherlands and Belgium is arranged in consultation, either in person or securely shipped.
By Karen van de Vliet
85 × 65 cm, 2026
Mixed Acrylic paint on cotton, framed
In Translucent VIII, Karen van de Vliet uses pale blue, white and soft pink to create a composition that feels calm yet vibrant. Transparent layers overlap with bold lines and textured passages, allowing colour to appear suspended within the work. The combination of movement and stillness gives the painting a strong architectural presence while maintaining a sense of openness.
Delivery within the Netherlands and Belgium is arranged in consultation, either in person or securely shipped.
By Karen van de Vliet
85 × 65 cm, 2026
Mixed Acrylic paint on cotton, framed
Translucent VII by Karen van de Vliet combines subtle pastel colours with darker elements and transparent layers. The composition reveals itself gradually, with areas of pink, cream, black and vivid accents emerging from beneath the surface. The work reflects the artist's ongoing interest in transparency and material, resulting in a painting with both presence and restraint.
Delivery within the Netherlands and Belgium is arranged in consultation, either in person or securely shipped.
By Karen van de Vliet
85 × 65 cm, 2026
Mixed Acrylic paint on cotton, framed
In Translucent VI, Karen van de Vliet works with luminous colours and transparent layers that reveal traces of movement and gesture. Areas of soft pink, lavender, yellow and black are brought together within a composition that feels open and spacious. The work occupies a place between painting and object, inviting the viewer to look closely at the relationship between colour, texture and light.
Delivery within the Netherlands and Belgium is arranged in consultation, either in person or securely shipped.
By Karen van de Vliet
85 × 65 cm, 2026
Mixed Acrylic paint on cotton, framed
Karen van de Vliet created Translucent IV as a balance between softness and contrast. Transparent layers surround areas of lilac, blue, pink and black, while strong vertical lines introduce rhythm to the composition. The tactile surface gives the work a sculptural quality, allowing colour to appear almost suspended within the material. The painting changes character throughout the day as light interacts with its layered surface.
Delivery within the Netherlands and Belgium is arranged in consultation, either in person or securely shipped.
By Karen van de Vliet
200 x 165 cm, 2023
Mixed acrylic paint on cotton
Moving away from line and figurative art, Karen van de Vliet developed a new approach to her work that is focused on embracing an imperfect beauty. Working with the concept of a stain, Karen was able to go back to the base, to the essence, which continues to be at the core of her practice. She is intrigued by shapes that have arisen on the weathered, chipped, broken, planed and dented surfaces. In these weathered parts Karen finds the essence of true beauty. Taking inspiration from these findings, she creates wondrous abstract pieces that contemplate imperfection. Acrylic paint, water and differing other materials are intuitively applied - often to unstretched cotton - giving free rein to expression.
Personal delivery and installation within the Netherlands and Belgium are included with this work.
By Karen van de Vliet
290 x 140 cm, 2022
Mixed acrylic paint on cotton
Moving away from line and figurative art, Karen van de Vliet developed a new approach to her work that is focused on embracing an imperfect beauty. She is intrigued by shapes that arise on weathered, chipped, broken, planed and dented surfaces. It is in these weathered parts that Karen finds the essence of true beauty. Taking inspiration from these findings, she creates wondrous abstract pieces that depart from her gravitation towards stains. Working with stains enables her to let go of all expectations and give free rein to expression. Hereby, acrylic paint, water and differing other materials are intuitively applied onto the surface. The search for a state of freedom without judgment ends when harmony is reached. When her eye is not drifting away, and attention is brought solely to the work itself. For Karen, creating an artwork is like getting to know a new piece of you with every action you take. In that way, Karen’s work can be described as a reflection of herself, as well as her environment; constantly moving and developing.
Personal delivery and installation within the Netherlands and Belgium are included with this work.
By Karen van de Vliet
290 x 140 cm, 2022
Mixed acrylic paint on cotton
From the series Color Poetry
Moving away from line and figurative art, Karen van de Vliet developed a new approach to her work that is focused on embracing an imperfect beauty. Working with the concept of a stain, Karen was able to go back to the base, to the essence, which continues to be at the core of her practice. She is intrigued by shapes that have arisen on the weathered, chipped, broken, planed and dented surfaces. In these weathered parts Karen finds the essence of true beauty. Taking inspiration from these findings, she creates wondrous abstract pieces that contemplate imperfection. Acrylic paint, water and differing other materials are intuitively applied - often to unstretched cotton - giving free rein to expression.
Personal delivery and installation within the Netherlands and Belgium are included with this work.
Recent art fairs
2025
KunstRAI, Amsterdam RAI, represented by Root Gallery - group, Amsterdam
2024
Art The Hague, Fokker Terminal, represented by Root Gallery - group, The Hague
KunstRAI, Amsterdam RAI, represented by Root Gallery - group, Amsterdam
2023
Art The Hague, Fokker Terminal, represented by Root Gallery - group, The Hague
KunstRAI, Amsterdam RAI, represented by Root Gallery - group, Amsterdam
2022
Art The Hague, Fokker Terminal, represented by Root Gallery - group, The Hague
2019
Art The Hague, Fokker Terminal, represented by Har. Art Gallery - group, The Hague
By Karen van der Vliet
24 × 19 cm, 2026
Mixed acrylic paint on cotton, framed
In Translucent XVI, Karen van de Vliet builds a layered composition in which colour appears to surface from within the work. Luminous red, blue and pink accents are partially veiled by pale translucent areas, while strong black and white lines bring rhythm and contrast. The irregular contours extend beyond the wooden frame, emphasising the work’s sculptural character. Intimate in scale yet visually assertive, this unique artwork occupies the space between abstract painting and wall sculpture.
This work will be shipped within the Netherlands and Belgium at no additional cost, securely and with tracking.