Information
- Katya Vaz (b. 1999) is a multidisciplinary artist based in New Orleans, Louisiana. Born in Moscow, Russia, and raised in New Orleans, she has spent significant time in both cities, and their contrasting influences are integral to her work. Her artistic practice explores how emotional connections shape our perception of physical spaces, often depicting them through evocative imagery that feels like a glimpse into someone’s memories.
Having been raised between Moscow, Russia, and New Orleans, Louisiana—two distinct cultures and languages—I have been acutely aware of the concept of locality from a young age. Drawing inspiration from memories tied to place, I explore the emotional and physical connection to culture and the environment that cultivated it, and how they have, in turn, shaped me.
Culture and locality are intricately linked, as the environment in which one is raised profoundly influences cultural identity and expression. Locality encompasses the physical, social, and historical contexts that shape daily life and collective memory. These local contexts imbue cultural practices with distinct meanings and forms, making them unique to specific places. The two become reflexive of each other, allowing characteristics such as landscapes, climate, and traditions to inform an individual’s experience. By exploring this relationship, my work delves into how the tangible aspects of a place contribute to the development of personal identity.
My work mainly consists of works on paper. By combining graphite and charcoal drawings with papermaking, cyanotype, and printmaking techniques, I represent the linguistic aspect of my work, using different techniques as various phrases to express the idea. These phrases come together to form a complete concept. Much like in the natural world, where nothing exists in isolation, my works inform and build on each other, creating their own dialogue.
The processes I employ are rooted in natural principles with many having the ability to be proliferated, much like the natural world’s cycles and patterns. Papermaking, for instance, mimics the organic process of growth and transformation, while cyanotype’s use of sunlight evokes the natural interplay of light and time. By employing these methods, I not only reflect the iterative and interconnected nature of the environment but also create works that can be replicated and expanded. This multiplicity mirrors the way natural and cultural systems evolve and interact, reinforcing the idea that nothing exists in isolation but rather as part of a dynamic and interconnected whole.
Culture and locality are intricately linked, as the environment in which one is raised profoundly influences cultural identity and expression. Locality encompasses the physical, social, and historical contexts that shape daily life and collective memory. These local contexts imbue cultural practices with distinct meanings and forms, making them unique to specific places. The two become reflexive of each other, allowing characteristics such as landscapes, climate, and traditions to inform an individual’s experience. By exploring this relationship, my work delves into how the tangible aspects of a place contribute to the development of personal identity.
My work mainly consists of works on paper. By combining graphite and charcoal drawings with papermaking, cyanotype, and printmaking techniques, I represent the linguistic aspect of my work, using different techniques as various phrases to express the idea. These phrases come together to form a complete concept. Much like in the natural world, where nothing exists in isolation, my works inform and build on each other, creating their own dialogue.
The processes I employ are rooted in natural principles with many having the ability to be proliferated, much like the natural world’s cycles and patterns. Papermaking, for instance, mimics the organic process of growth and transformation, while cyanotype’s use of sunlight evokes the natural interplay of light and time. By employing these methods, I not only reflect the iterative and interconnected nature of the environment but also create works that can be replicated and expanded. This multiplicity mirrors the way natural and cultural systems evolve and interact, reinforcing the idea that nothing exists in isolation but rather as part of a dynamic and interconnected whole.
EDUCATION
2017-2021
Loyola University New Orleans
Bachelor of Design, Graphic Design
2013-2017
New Orleans Center for Creative Arts
Certificate of Artistry
RESIDENCIES
2025
Fulbright-Harriet Hale Woolley Scholar 2025-2026
Fondation des États-Unis, Paris, France
The Brackish Artist Collective
The Water Collaborative, New Orleans, LA
2024
Joan Mitchell Center
Joan Mitchell Center, New Orleans, LA
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2024
“Go I know not where”
Good Children Gallery, New Orleans, LA
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2025
“Survey #25”
SHED Projects, Cleveland, OH
“Our Point in Space”
Acadiana Center for the Arts, Lafayette, LA
“Refreshing America”
Contemporary Arts Center New Orleans, New Orleans, LA
2024
“Louisianais.e”
Acadiana Center for the Arts, Lafayette, LA
2022
“Louisianais.e”
West Baton Rouge Museum, Baton Rouge, LA
2021
“...for our consideration”
The Front, New Orleans, LA
“After”
Diboll Gallery, New Orleans, LA
2019
group exhibition for Vans “Off The Wall”
Cafe Istanbul, New Orleans, LA
2018
“Nature by Design”
Loyola University Design Department, New Orleans, LA
2017
“Continued Dreamers”
5 Press Gallery, New Orleans, LA
“Revoir”
Contemporary Arts Center New Orleans, New Orleans, LA
CURATORIAL & DESIGN PROJECTS
2025
lead graphic designer
Musique(s)!
Archived at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, Washington D.C.
co-curator+preparator
pop-up exhibition, “Atis Rezistans”
The Historic BK House & Gardens, New Orleans, LA
2024
co-curator & graphic designer, “Haiti-Louisiana: Tides of Freedom”
Historic BK House & Garden, New Orleans LA
United Nations, New York City, NY
2023
exhibition design, “300 Years of French and Creole Histories”
Historic BK House & Gardens, New Orleans, LA
Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
2025
Fulbright-Harriet Hale Woolley Scholar 2025-2026
Fondation des États-Unis, Paris, France
The Brackish Artist Collective
The Water Collaborative, New Orleans, LA
2024
Joan Mitchell Center
Joan Mitchell Center, New Orleans, LA
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2024
“Go I know not where”
Good Children Gallery, New Orleans, LA
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2025
“Survey #25”
SHED Projects, Cleveland, OH
“Our Point in Space”
Acadiana Center for the Arts, Lafayette, LA
“Refreshing America”
Contemporary Arts Center New Orleans, New Orleans, LA
2024
“Louisianais.e”
Acadiana Center for the Arts, Lafayette, LA
2022
“Louisianais.e”
West Baton Rouge Museum, Baton Rouge, LA
2021
“...for our consideration”
The Front, New Orleans, LA
“After”
Diboll Gallery, New Orleans, LA
2019
group exhibition for Vans “Off The Wall”
Cafe Istanbul, New Orleans, LA
2018
“Nature by Design”
Loyola University Design Department, New Orleans, LA
2017
“Continued Dreamers”
5 Press Gallery, New Orleans, LA
“Revoir”
Contemporary Arts Center New Orleans, New Orleans, LA
CURATORIAL & DESIGN PROJECTS
2025
lead graphic designer
Musique(s)!
Archived at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, Washington D.C.
co-curator+preparator
pop-up exhibition, “Atis Rezistans”
The Historic BK House & Gardens, New Orleans, LA
2024
co-curator & graphic designer, “Haiti-Louisiana: Tides of Freedom”
Historic BK House & Garden, New Orleans LA
United Nations, New York City, NY
2023
exhibition design, “300 Years of French and Creole Histories”
Historic BK House & Gardens, New Orleans, LA
Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France