Cathy Key | Soulscapes

Cathy Key | Soulscapes

“Psychologists have found most people have a very limited palette to talk about their emotional states. We describe ourselves mostly as either happy, angry, or sad. But in reality, we live in a rich emotional landscape that changes from moment to moment and can contain many contradictions.”
– Cathy Key,

Cathy Key, Ph.D. (b. 1968), grew up in England and has lived and worked in Canada for the past twenty years. Inspired by the great naturalists of the 19th century, she creates large, multi-layered portraits using collage, acrylic, inks, and glazes.
With a Ph.D. in Anthropology and over 30 years of experience in yoga and ecstatic dance, Cathy uses self-inquiry as the emotional impetus for her work. Her paintings express the joy, vulnerability, and wonder of being a conscious participant in our natural world. Reflecting on her early influences, Cathy shares, “I am inspired by the botanists of the nineteenth century. Ernst Haeckel, an illustrator and contemporary of Charles Darwin, found incredible beauty in nature. In those days, there wasn’t the strict separation between Science and Art that we have now. Scientists and artists were both observers and creators, striving to understand the natural world and decode her secrets.”

Key’s award-winning work has been exhibited in numerous solo and group exhibitions, captivating audiences with its intricate layers and detail. Over a decade of experimentation has led to her unique technique, seamlessly blending collage and acrylic paint to create pieces where it is almost impossible to tell where one medium ends and another begins. This style leaves viewers both captivated and bewildered.

A profound reverence for the natural world is common to all of Cathy’s work. Plants, algae, corals, and fungi play across the skin of her portraits. Geometric shapes and symmetries create psychedelic effects that transport viewers to other dimensions.
“Nature helps us touch the divine. In my work, I seek to connect with the wisdom that we are a part of nature, not separate from it.”

Cathy’s deep connection to nature is evident in her work.
“I read Darwin’s ‘On the Origin of Species’ when I was twenty, and it blew me away. Later in my career, I was lucky enough to work with fossils of human ancestors who were millions of years old. The conclusion for me was inescapable: we are a part of nature. That in no way diminishes my sense of awe and wonder. Quite the opposite, each of us is a small part of the divine tapestry of life. Each of our stories forms a tiny part of a magnificent whole. I hope that my work touches people at an emotional level. I have seen people spontaneously gasp and cry. I have seen people confused. My work is engaging; from afar, it looks very different than when it’s seen up close when all the intricate details are revealed.”

Key’s artwork is held in private collections across Canada, the UK, and the United States, showcasing the widespread impact of her work. She achieved the remarkable feat of being selected twice for display at the prestigious Sidney Art Show, demonstrating the high regard her art is held in. Her inaugural solo exhibition, “Seeds of the Soul,” held in 2022, was a deeply personal and poignant collection, as it featured 20 works that reflected her journey through illness and recovery.
In 2023, her talent was again recognized as she participated in the highly esteemed Sooke Art Show, where her piece “Divine Duality” garnered the coveted People’s Choice award, a testament to its broad appeal. Additionally, in April 2024, Key exhibited her captivating art at BC’s leading Art Fair, Art Vancouver, further solidifying her reputation as a notable artist in the region.

See the full article in the GOLD LIST Special Edition #8

Website: cathykey.com | Instagram: @cathykeyart