Cathryn Kemp‘s work is unabashedly personal. She relies heavily on the psychological landscapes of her life to create abstract images that combine delicacy of touch with stable composition. The connection between abstraction and self-expression is a well-worn topos in the history of art, but in the best cases this relationship is based on a solid understanding of medium and technique to build an original emotional vocabulary and develop visual scope.

Kemp achieves this through a striking combination of materials. In her most recent series I Will Never Forget You (2010) she has created an image diary recording her “profound and revelatory” experiences in rehab. The digitally created pieces have been printed onto hand-milled German etching paper which give the physical properties of the works a solidity and longevity belied by the transitory violence of the emotions conveyed.

The drama of Kemp’s interior world unfolds before us revealing a deep well source of emotional intensity and an affecting internal landscape that traces aspects of time, memory, and history. But like many of the best abstract artists the more significant impact lies in the experience of viewing: It is difficult at times to further enter into her private thoughts since Kemp’s evident feel for texture, form, and contrast ensures that the viewer is never too far distracted from the concrete beauty of her work.

To see more of her work on Saatchi Online click here.