My work explores relational structure, interdependence, and the sense of order that can emerge when forms develop through an attentive process.

My paintings are built slowly through accumulation. Repeating organic shapes, sometimes reminiscent of leaves, cells, or botanical fragments, gather across the canvas to form dense, interwoven fields.

Rather than organizing the composition around a central focal point, I work with non-hierarchical systems. Each form participates equally in the whole, distributing visual authority so the painting begins to function less like an image and more like a living field.

The process unfolds through cycles of expansion and regulation. Forms multiply and press against one another until the surface becomes crowded or unstable, then shift into a slower phase of adjustment as the composition finds balance. I’m interested in how much density a painting can hold without collapsing into noise, and what kinds of relationships allow a complex structure to remain alive.

Up close, the viewer encounters hundreds of small decisions that hold the field together. The paintings ask for slow looking. Over time, relationships emerge and order becomes visible within the complexity.

Biography

Kristen Phillips is an abstract painter based in Bend, Oregon. Her work explores relational structure, interdependence, and non-hierarchical composition through layered organic forms that gather into dense, interwoven fields.

She holds a BFA in Visual Communication and a BA in Art History from Northern Arizona University and has pursued additional study at the Honolulu Academy of Art, the Art Students League of New York, and the New York School of the Arts.

In addition to her studio practice, Phillips has many years of experience as a cycling coach, working across road, mountain, and endurance disciplines. Her coaching ranges from foundational skills instruction to supporting athletes in building sustainable performance and long-term durability.