The Lounge at {9} Presents Karolina Adams: Plugged In

PHOENIX - July 14, 2018 - PRLog -- Join us as The Lounge at {9} debuts an intimate collection of work by the accomplished graphite artist Karolina Adams in Plugged In, opening First Friday, August 3rd, 6-10 PM at {9} The Gallery, 1229 Grand Avenue, Phoenix, AZ. Plugged In is an introspective exploration of raw emotion and experience told through Adams' clean, minimalist, and whimsical style.

Born and raised in Chicago, IL, Adams illustrates life from within her head with a quirky style and a touch of sophistication, which mirrors her playful character with a serious core.  An introvert by nature, drawing has always served as her alternative to verbal expression, allowing her to work through her thoughts and emotions and tell her stories.

The title of the show, Plugged In, speaks to Adams' fascination with personal growth, emotions and self-improvement. As Adams explains, "I am constantly plugging into my feelings. My endless need for introspection is what creates my artwork. I purge out my emotions onto paper, ideally right as it's happening. The rawness allows me to understand what's going on with me in that moment and how to better myself from it."

Contrary to the chaos of the mind, the resulting work is clean, minimal and direct, a raw and vulnerable look at her strengths and weaknesses, her triumphs and limitations.

While sharing such an intimate portrayal with the public was intimidating at first, Adams soon discovered a greater purpose to her work. "Showing my work and seeing people react with a cry or laugh because they connected to "My" struggles/triumphs, made me realize "My" stories aren't unique to me as I had always thought. People find themselves in my stories, which shows that we're all connected on some level which makes us uniquely the same. Because I'm open to 'talking' about my own struggles publicly, it gives others "permission" to talk about theirs. Acknowledging those feelings is where healings begins and I'm very humbled I can offer that to people."

Adams graduated with a B.F.A. in Interior Architecture from Columbia College, Chicago IL. After a few years working in the field, she discovered that mundane space planning and the office atmosphere were too rigid for her change-craving spirit so she quit her job and went back to art full-time. In 2012, she made the leap to professional artist.  Currently, Adams is a permanent gallery artist in Scottsdale, AZ and Lenox, MA. In addition, she has presented her work in solo and group exhibitions in Arizona, California, Colorado and Illinois. Adams' work can be found in public installations and private collections throughout the US, Europe and Asia.

Karolina Adams: Plugged In runs throughout the month of August at {9} The Gallery. Discover more about the gallery at https://9thegallery.com or follow us on ARTSY at https://www.artsy.net/9-the-gallery.

{9} The Gallery is a contemporary art gallery located in Phoenix's Historic Grand Avenue District. Founded in 2012, the gallery is committed to showing local, national, and international artists of the highest quality. {9} also incorporates music, poetry, dance, workshops and yoga to create an overall creative environment for self-expression in the downtown Phoenix area. The gallery is open Fridays and Saturdays from 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM and by appointment by calling (480) 454-5929.