Karen Mastriacovo

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Karen’s creative journey has followed a winding path—from early studies in criminal justice to fashion design—which led her, finally, back to art—where she’s always felt most at home. In the early 1990s, she moved to New York City and began evening classes at the Art Students League, where she studied under the mentorship of Bruce Dorfman. Her work has since been included in multiple group shows and one two-person exhibition.

After stepping back from exhibition pursuits to focus on personal and artistic development, Karen now resides in the Hudson Valley, where she continues to explore her deep connection to process and material. Her childhood was steeped in tactile experiences: her father built an airplane in their garage and owned an auto-body shop, instilling in her a lifelong appreciation for building with her hands. That formative influence echoes in her sculptural work, which blends precision and intuition, structure and ambiguity.

She works primarily in aluminum, drawn to its malleability and ability to create the illusion of density. The addition of patina introduces subtle texture, enhancing the enigmatic quality of her work and inviting viewers to question what they think they see.

"In life we are often misled by our impressions formed by what we believe to be accurate observations. My work explores ways in which to portray this deception through three-dimensional sculpture. Luring the viewer in with a false sense of security via the work’s classical nature, I attempt to deceive through the manipulation of form and substance."

Works

Karen Mastriacovo | Cultivated Naivete

Karen Mastriacovo | Sisu

Karen Mastriacovo | Still

Karen Mastriacovo | Tetsu-Ko

Karen Mastriocovo | She flies with her own Wings