American, Born 1968, Binghamton, New York / Lives in San Francisco, California

Kara Maria’s work fuses abstraction and representation. A wide variety of subjects - from environmental crisis on Earth to astronomical observations of the universe; the structure of music; the patterns of biology; the quandaries of physics and philosophy; international politics and war; from the macrocosmic to the microcosmic - influence her art making. She hopes the work communicates a sense of humor and playfulness as well as an engagement with the state of the world we live in today. Although many issues are referenced, the work itself remains non-linear, seeking to raise questions rather than to give answers.

After beginning college at a music conservatory on the East Coast, transferring through a few different schools, and spending a year studying and traveling in Europe, Kara Maria moved to San Francisco in 1990 to attend the University of California, Berkeley. There she earned a BA in Art Practice in 1993, followed by an MFA in 1998.

Maria’s work can be found in public collections including the Cantor Arts Center, Stanford University, Stanford, CA; the di Rosa Preserve, Napa, CA; the de Saisset Museum, Santa Clara, CA among others. She has been the recipient of awards such as a Masterminds Grant from the SF Weekly, San Francisco, CA; a grant from Artadia, New York, NY; and an Eisner Prize from the University of California, Berkeley. Her prints have been published by presses including Gallery 16, San Francisco; Shark’s Ink, Lyons, CO; and Smith Andersen Editions, Palo Alto, CA. She is represented by the Catharine Clark Gallery, San Francisco, CA.