Simone Christen was born 1971 in Bern, Switzerland. Always a creative child, an exchange year in the United States during high school fueled her passion for art. Back home, she completed undergraduate studies at the Lucerne School of Design. However, her life path then led her to the University of Bern, where she earned an MBA in Geography, followed by working years in Digital Cartography and Design. An extended family phase took her to Barcelona, Lake Geneva and the Basel region.
Painting and art have always been important parts of her life, and they have taken center stage once more. Simone resumed her art education with a three-year art school degree of the Visual Art School in Basel, got her own studio and put all her time, energy and passion into exploring her artistic voice and creating art, that touches and nurtures the soul. Simone relocated to rural New Jersey with her husband and three teenage daughters in 2020, where she now lives and paints on a small horse farm while also enjoying the inspiration and cultural diversity of nearby New York.
Statement
I am a Swiss painter living in rural New Jersey who creates abstract or non-representational art, being experimental while still working in the realm of minimalism. While primarily reflecting emotions and atmospheres, I am interested in the impact of deep color spaces, sensitive lines and marks, and the dynamic interaction of the various players - a constant interplay of autonomy and relation to other elements and space.
Following an intuitive approach, I strive for balance without losing tension, for reduction without becoming trivial, and am always fascinated by universal concepts of form, mass, proportion, rhythm, and structure. Influenced by modern art, everyday surroundings and nature, my main inspiration is an inner urge to express my own visual language.
My artworks are quiet reflections on the beauty of life and its fundamental simplicity. They are intended to provide a grounding experience and radiate a sense of calm, peace and serenity. An invitation to step away from the hustle and bustle of daily life for a brief moment of reflection and resonance, allowing the eyes to rest and the soul to linger.
copyright © Simone Christen, 2024