Abbie Broms, 1997, grew up in Atlanta, GA, and currently splits her time between Atlanta and Chicago, IL. She studied both Fine Arts and Psychology at the University of Colorado Boulder, graduating in 2019. Her belief in the healing potential of the creative arts pushed her to continue her education at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, perusing MA in Art Therapy and Counseling. She is currently working at SAIC’s Wellness Center as an Art Therapy and Counseling extern.
Abbie works with individual commissions, store galleries, and shows. For inquiries about commissions or her current and past work, please follow her on Instagram or send her an email.
My artwork combines a variety of artistic methods and materials to explore various elements of my identity, primarily focusing on my love for nature and my professional path toward art therapy. My work highlights the creative process, emphasizing material collection, combination, transformation, and completion led by feelings of balance, satisfaction, and alignment with conceptual ideas. Although my work is personal and reflective, the overarching themes and concepts can be relatable on a fundamental human level. The work is intended to evoke intrigue, wonder, fascination, visual appeal, and conceptual curiosity, encouraging the viewer to explore their own identity and existential meaning.
The artistic inspiration for my work is associated with past experiences and memories that have shaped who I am today. Within the context of my current project, this includes the therapeutic benefits of art, my love for outdoor adventure and its beauty, and the memories I have made with loved ones throughout my life. I am continuously inspired by various creative figures and elements within my daily life, including time spent with family and friends, adventures in my backyard, feedback from mentors, and working artists I have come to love.
To understand my current exhibition work, Know Me Beyond the Window’s Pane, one must acknowledge its emphasis on the artistic process. The process began with the conceptual combination of art therapy and nature-based therapy utilizing found objects as art material to explore identity and existential meaning. After collecting and reflecting on my found objects, I began the art-making process, emphasizing feeling and intuition. With a continuous focus on the conceptual purpose, I slowly transformed and pieced together my objects and materials to create a completed installation artwork based on feelings of conceptual and visual satisfaction.
Know Me Beyond the Window’s Pane 3 In-class presentation of my arts-based graduate research project,"Know me Beyond the Window's Pane". This does not represent the entirely of the exhibition work.
Natural Refections (Framed) 7 framed 7.5" x 8.5" reflective drawings and writings using colored pencil and pencil on recycled paper.
Natural Reflections (Unframed) 40 unframed 7.5" x 8.5" reflective drawings and writings using colored pencil and pencil on recycled paper.
Know Me Beyond the Window’s Pane 2 Close up image of my graduate project exhibition artwork, a 7.5 ft x 5 ft x 3ft mixed media installation using natural and human-made found materials including window frames, twine, paper, hemp cording, dried flowers and plants, pinecones, nut shells, sticks and more.
Know Me Beyond the Window's Pane 7.5 ft x 5 ft x 3ft, Natural and human-made found materials including window frames, twine, paper, hemp cording, dried flowers and plants, pinecones, feathers, nut shells, and sticks.