About

Karen Rose is a painter with over 30 years of experience in New York City, San Francisco, and Raleigh. She holds a BA from UC Berkeley and an MFA from The School of Visual Arts in New York.

Rose's work recently explores the concept of borders, initially through a series of landscapes of the Mexican border, reflecting her identity as half Mexican. She referenced landscapes from films shot near the border as well as Spaghetti Westerns filmed in Spain to symbolize Mexico.

Her practice includes a printmaking residency at La Maldita Estampa in Barcelona, supported by a North Carolina arts grant. Additionally, she was awarded a Kivunim Fellowship to Morocco, where she studied inter-religious and cross-cultural coexistence with a diverse group of 40 educators, three rabbis, and a Bedouin Palestinian peace activist. Her experiences in Morocco inspired her paintings of the Atlas Mountains, symbolizing peace, and led to a series that addresses border conflict referencing news imagery and often incorporating elements of traditional textile design.

She is currently reimagining the Bay Area before “Settlement” through pristine landscapes omitting present infrastructure. Karen Rose teaches art at the Urban School of San Francisco and lives and paints in both Richmond, CA and Raleigh, NC. Solo shows of her Border Paintings are scheduled for February/March 2025 on both coasts.