Karen Jerzyk is a surrealistic photographer who combines elements of sci-fi and fantasy with elaborate environments to create visual narratives. Whether she builds a set from scratch in her studio or finds an existing location, she always adorns the spaces with characters that are then brought to life through her lens. Striving for an element of what some people have said reminds them of an era of"future-past", her photos tend to appear timeless, with colorful montages laden with underlying themes. There is no right answer to the ultimate meaning of any one of her photos, as each viewer can read the scene differently. She wants it to be personal to each viewer, although she attributes most of her work to the unexpected death of her father in 2011 and the need to use art to heal. She currently travels around the US, photographing people for various projects.