Kirsten Abrahamson

Ontario

She was born in Cleveland Ohio in 1960. She moved to Canada with her family at the beginning of her high school years and subsequently became a Canadian citizen. After completing high school, she moved to Calgary Alberta to study at the Alberta College of Art and Design where she earned Diplomas in Ceramics and Glassblowing. In 1984 and 1985, she attended the summer sessions in Ceramics at The Banff School of Fine Arts, Banff Alberta. She then attended the University of Calgary from which she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Ceramics) in 1987 and Master of Fine Arts (Sculpture) in 1990. Subsequently, she was an artist in residence at the Alberta College of Art and Design , and later at the Banff Centre. Her career evolved as an artist and as an instructor at post-secondary institutions

Abrahamson's work was influenced by a sojourn in Mexico in 1993, where she and a colleague experienced the Day of the Dead festival. Out of that experience, she and her colleague created a special exhibition entitled Revival shown at the Muttart Gallery. Subsequently, they had a second exhibition, Days of the Dead at The New Gallery in Calgary. Abrahamson portrayed the symbolism of this festival.

Through her extensive course of studies in ceramic art, Kirsten Abrahamson has both an understanding of ceramic traditions and the formal skills in ceramic arts developed from the 19th through to the 21st century. Her foremost work, Diary of a River, has been the subject of critical analysis.