Amelia Carley transforms found materials into vivid dioramas that become the foundation for her surreal landscapes. Her work examines ecological anxiety, memory, and the overlap of the natural and artificial, inviting viewers to consider humanity’s impact on the environment through imaginative, layered compositions

In Issue 53 of Create! Magazine, Brooklyn-based artist Caroline Otis Heffron shares her transhistorical approach to painting, where women from art history meet contemporary street imagery. Through magical vignettes and saturated colors, her work examines dualities of belonging and isolation, vulnerability and strength, offering a theatrical yet intimate exploration of memory, myth, and feminine identity.

Taylor Keister creates layered assemblage paintings that explore nostalgia, femininity, and the tension between outward appearances and inner reality. Her work merges saturated color, decorative motifs, and altar-like structures to confront suburban rituals, childhood experiences, and the emotional cost of perfection.

Paige DeVries turns everyday walks through her New Orleans neighborhood into vibrant paintings that highlight the relationship between humans and their environment. Her work observes how choices shape landscapes, blending humor, quiet beauty, and reflection on suburban life

Cindy Phenix creates dense, collage-like paintings and installations where humans, animals, and natural elements intertwine in vivid, layered compositions. Her work examines ecological crises, societal tensions, and the delicate balance between humanity and the natural world, offering viewers a glimpse into a poetic, interconnected universe

Meet Sophia, the creative force behind Mrs. H, whose paintings and illustrations blend whimsy, storytelling, and quiet rebellion. From her South African farm roots to Dubai’s vibrant inspiration, her work evokes emotion through recurring figures, text, and symbolic motifs. Explore her series There Should Be Room for Us Too and witness art that celebrates freedom, choice, and reflection.

Lou Haney’s work transports viewers into imagined domestic interiors where charm meets excess, and memory intertwines with fantasy. Using layered oil, acrylic, and fiber art, her paintings explore nostalgia, femininity, and the tension between reality and escape. Inspired by Pattern & Decoration and Pop Art, Haney transforms familiar spaces into surreal compositions filled with quiet traces of human presence.

Fern Apfel transforms letters, stamps, and keepsakes into richly layered paintings that blur the line between text and abstraction. Her work evokes nostalgia, memory, and the passage of time, inviting viewers to reflect on personal and collective histories. Explore her contemplative practice in Issue 53 of Create! Magazine.

Xi Zhang’s paintings blend Eastern philosophy with Western expressionist traditions, creating emotionally charged compositions that examine memory, empathy, and the immigrant experience. From expansive dreamlike landscapes to intimate portraits, his work invites viewers into spaces of psychological tension and reflection.

Christina Lucia Giuffrida’s paintings invite viewers into a surreal, Queer-centered adventure, where vivid color, graphic figures, and layered environments challenge perception and celebrate irreverent women. Her work combines fantasy, humor, and material experimentation to explore identity, movement, and the unpredictable beauty of life.

Michael Hambouz, a Brooklyn-based multidisciplinary artist, musician, and curator, creates work deeply informed by chromaesthesia and personal history. Drawing from music, memory, and his Palestinian-American heritage, Hambouz experiments across mediums—painting, printmaking, sculpture, and animation—to explore themes of loss, transformation, and resilience. His vibrant abstractions, often influenced by sound and architectural forms, invite viewers into layered reflections on identity and generational experience.

Andreea Alunei’s work transforms grief, humor, and imagination into intimate, layered paintings. Drawing on the birth of her daughter, the loss of her mother, and a deep interest in personal mythology, her surreal imagery—halos, unicorns, and whimsical children—invites viewers to reflect on life, death, and the delicate balance in between.

Lauren Moses’ paintings and printmaking explore complex systems of power and identity through layered imagery and historical references. Oscillating between the familiar and the unknown, her work invites viewers to engage with evolving narratives, revealing new insights with each encounter. Based in Charlottesville, VA, Moses draws from her experience as a lifelong musician and visual artist to create work that resonates deeply, offering fresh perspectives on history, gesture, and meaning.

Genevieve Cohn’s paintings invite viewers into richly imagined communities of women, where historical inspiration, literary fiction, and fairy tales intersect. Her work celebrates collaboration, self-endowed agency, and connection with the natural world, offering a space for reflection, ritual, and the beauty of shared experience.

Lauren Cohen’s interdisciplinary practice spans painting, ceramics, and installation, exploring the construction of identity and systems of control. Her work blurs past and present, merging historical archetypes with personal experience to create rich, thought-provoking narratives. Learn more about Cohen’s practice, exhibitions, and artistic vision on our blog.

Kurt Stimmeder (b. 1972, Bad Leonfelden, Austria) creates oil paintings and lithographs that balance technical precision with emotional depth. Now based in Linz, his practice explores memory, immediacy, and the unspoken language of the human body. Exhibited internationally from New York to Tokyo, his work reflects on the human condition with layered narratives that are both profound and quietly suggestive.

Sarah Alice Moran (b. 1982, New York, NY) creates what she calls “magic paintings,” works that balance allegorical elegance with a macabre playfulness reminiscent of Saturday morning cartoons. Her pigment-soaked canvases conjure a primal feminine force, redefining power through intuition, communication, and quiet contemplation. With influences ranging from Balthus to Scooby-Doo, Moran’s work offers a contemporary take on ancient, alchemical imagery.

Joanna Pilarczyk is a London-based painter known for her vibrant use of colour and layered compositions. Her internationally exhibited portraits explore identity, relationships, and acceptance, celebrating diversity through striking, expressive imagery.

Marleen De Waele- De Bock’s work celebrates the beauty of life through vibrant, immersive paintings inspired by nature and her experiences living around the world. Featured in the “Lightness of Being” exhibition, her art offers viewers a sense of peace, joy, and positivity, inviting a moment of serenity in everyday life.

Kateryna Reznichenko’s paintings invite viewers into a space between clarity and collapse, blending realism with expressive gestures. Featured in the Lightness of Being virtual exhibition, her work reflects themes of transformation, resistance, and the delicate interplay of intention and chance.