The wonder-filled world of Photographer Kim Campbell

Snippets of dreams and and stories come together like a fantastical concoction in front of my lens.  20 years as a photographer of people and beautiful ideas allows me to craft evocative, story-telling images with central characters full of mystique, longing and ambiguity.  An ongoing interest in archetypes and emotions drives my photography into the future while re-imagining the past.

I'm known in some circles as a portrait photographer in my hometown of Portland, Oregon but there are many other layers of my experience that have shaped the kind of photographer I've become. I first picked up a camera in 1990 in a black and white darkroom class at the University of Oregon. I envisioned a life where I could use art to heal people and pursued a Master's Degree in Art Therapy from Marylhurst College in 1995. Creative photography is central to the evolution of my work. It is from that process that I draw inspiration which informs all my other projects. A curiosity about the world and the wonderful discoveries I experience is what I am to share here.

In 202d she launched Dare Heart, a movement apparel brand designed from a female perspective.

I am continually seeking to make statements that embody a rich sense of life and intrigue. These interpretations are at times both literal and symbolic, culturally evocative, and archetypal in nature. I relish these complexities.

Current Work

Earlier Work

Self portrait by Kim Campbell, age 4​

Self portrait by Kim Campbell, age 4​

Artist's Statement: The Inspiration

In 1993 two events simultaneously collided to shift something profound inside my heart. I met and married my best friend and partner, Mexican-born sculptor Francisco Salgado and began a course of study in Art Therapy. My unique point of view culminates from a variety of interests and pursuits over my professional and personal life.

As an art therapist and photographer, I revel in the psychological perceptions within the art-making and viewing experience. I explore emotion and creativity, mining for an inner wonderland of experience from childhood memories, trauma and inner longings. This is what compels my work, and is the soul of much of my body of work.