Ditto

Carla Cohen’s work speaks a language of bold forms and textures based on structures of high contrast graphic shapes. Her process is very improvisational, responding to the materials at hand, and intuitively bringing order and structure to the varied elements. Often incorporating transparent layers of hand printed papers, she curates an experience for the viewer to explore what lies beneath. A self-taught artist, Cohen has a long history of creative entrepreneurial pursuits as a jewelry designer, art director, food blogger, and stylist. Responding to the materials or ingredients in each of these creative endeavors is much the same as constructing a painting, layering the elements until she achieves a rich, deep history.

Erin Kaya grew up in the greater Chicago area, where she was constantly drawing and painting on whatever surfaces she could find. She received her BFA from the University of Kansas and also studied at the Ringling School of Art & Design in Sarasota, Florida. Kaya’s dedicated full-time art career began ten years ago when her daughter was born. That life-changing event encouraged her to pursue her true passion: creating art using techniques influenced by her travels in Europe, Africa, and the Near East.

Marta Cortese is a textile and surface designer based in Turin, Italy, specializing in freehand drawings for fashion and interior design. Originally trained as an architect, she shifted to a creative career, exploring typography, calligraphy, and illustration. Known for her whimsical drawings of animals, organic geometries, and women with hats, Cortese combines her creative imagination with a strong aesthetic sense. She works extensively on each motif, using both traditional and innovative techniques, and enjoys experimenting with calligraphy.

Matthew Kirk, a Navajo artist from Ganado, Arizona, now lives and works in NYC. Selftaught, he creates art using materials like sheetrock and plywood, often reflecting his thoughts and daily experiences. His marks, both vague and familiar, capture the flow of consciousness, allowing the painting to evolve freely. Kirk’s work has been exhibited in numerous galleries and featured in publications like The Wall Street Journal and Modern Painters .

Miles Regis, a Trinidad-born, LA-based artist, uses his work to explore themes of love, loss, freedom, and activism. His emotionally charged paintings blend black-and-white structures with vibrant colors, often featuring eyes to encourage deeper reflection. Regis’ stylized storytelling draws from global cultural experiences, making them relevant to modern societies. His work is in the permanent collections of the Smithsonian, California African American Museum, and La Musee Borindar in Senegal. He has exhibited at Art Basel and Coachella and been featured in CNN, Ebony Magazine, and more.

Wendy Westlake, based in Zumbrota, Minnesota, is an artist with a diverse background in oils, printmaking, ceramics, and watercolor. After earning an associate’s degree in applied art from Pima College, she moved to Minnesota in 1992 and became active in the Twin Cities watercolor community, later serving as president of the Minnesota Watercolor Society. Westlake’s work, influenced by both her watercolor roots and American Abstract Expressionism, reflects her adventurous approach to painting, where each canvas explores relationships through shape and color.