Keeper of Rust, Weaver of Memory, Salvage Alchemist

Karin Dykman King creates from the liminal: forgotten objects, discarded metal, and well-worn fragments of domestic life are transformed into intimate assemblages and haunting collage. Her work blurs the line between artifact and oracle, invoking what she calls “a certain satisfaction”—a moment when chaos aligns, and the piece simply knows it’s finished.

Born in Alton, IL & raised on curiosity and rusty nails, Karin began her journey making doll accessories from scraps as a child. However, teaching special education became her career path. It wasn’t until much later—after her son Josh moved out—that a pile of abandoned clipboards reawakened her instinct to reframe the discarded. They became portals. Each one, a new terrain.

Driven by both introspection and intuition, her pieces move between play and purpose: some are visual spells of emotional release; others, methodical collages built like puzzles from National Geographic clippings, rusty washers, and fragments of long-lost packaging. While many of her works begin as private rituals, Karin increasingly feels a pull toward visibility—toward sharing these salvaged moments with others.

Her influences are wide-ranging: the fictional recluse Jeremy Pauling (Celestial Navigation, Anne Tyler) introduced her to the magic of assemblage art; Bob Ross showed her the power of steady presence; and Frida Kahlo reminded her that pain can bloom into color. Still, her truest inspiration comes from within—a sense that this act of making is necessary, like breathing. “It’s the purest part of myself,” she says. “Maybe the most selfish. But it keeps me alive.”

Karin sources materials from thrift stores, sidewalks, and a lifetime of random treasures gifted by time, memory, and a very observant boyfriend. Some works wait years to be signed. Some are forgotten until rediscovery brings them roaring back.

In a world rushing toward the digital, her art holds the analog line—a weathered map of what it means to remember, to reclaim, and to make beauty from the ruins.

Exhibitions:
• Prints of Darkness, Jacoby Arts Center – October 2023
• Dedications, Framations Gallery (St. Charles, MO) – August   to October 2024