“As a fine artist focused on portraiture, I now have the privilege to be able to deconstruct my process to create something totally new.” -Michelle KohlerMichelle Kohler was born and raised in Worcester, South Africa. At a young age she was inspired by an art instructor who very quickly encouraged her to pursue a more focused art education at a dedicated art school: Hugo Naude Art School in Worcester, South Africa. She studied there for five years until the age of seventeen with her works still hanging in the alumni halls.After completing a Bachelor Degree in Graphic Design from Cape Peninsula University of Technology, she traveled the world engaging artists and curators generating a renewed passion for portraiture. Thereafter, she completed two internships in Augsurg Germany at Weltbild Magazine and Top Hair Magazine.In 2011 she relocated to the United States where she began working for Lin Swensson and Associates in Nashville, assisting in the sourcing of local artists. The company's mission statement was to promote healing through art therapy by working closely with architects and interior designers to find the perfect piece to suit each area in the hospital. Michelle did this for 2 years.Shorty after relocating to Boulder, CO in 2012, she began her full time endeavor into portraiture.Since then she has appeared in House and Garden Magazine UK, Artist Portfolio Magazine as well as showing works in various high-production art shows in Denver, Co. Michelle’s social presence has exploded in the last year, with over 500,000 views of her time-lapse pieces on YouTube, and over 40,000 subscribers to her art across her social media platforms.Michelle is a budding talent with a huge vision for abstract portraiture.“Most of my years spent studying were focused on portraiture, as expressed through realism. As an artistic discipline, it has been a constant throughout my life. But it was only after a fortuitous departure into abstract painting that I was able to playfully and courageously combine two disciplines. “Deconstructed Realism” is my expression of artistic independence and creativity as it pertains to the depth and complexity of the human portrait .” -Michelle Kohler