Conversations with Karma Henry

Today we’d like to introduce you to Karma Henry.

Hi Karma, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I went back to art school in my 30’s. I graduated in 2007 with my BA from Cal-State Northrige and in 2010 with my MFA from Otis College of Art and Design. I started showing at Art Markets, including The Autry’s American indian Arts Marketplace. I belong to the Great Basin Native Artists, based in Nevada, and the New Mexico Women in the Arts, based in New Mexico. Networking helped provide opportunities to get my work out to more audiences. Artist residencies helped move my work forward. After my 2021 residency at IAIA in Santa Fe, NM I made the decision to leave Southern California, where I’d lived most of my life, to Santa Fe to jump all-in for my art practice. It’s been an amazing growth period for me.
Now, I get to show my artwork at The Autry’s American Indian Arts Marketplace in June.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Everyone’s path is different. In the beginning, while working on my MFA, I was blessed with a daughter halfway through my program. After graduation, I had to navigate being a new mom and a struggling artist. It took me years to figure out my direction in the studio. I didn’t appreciate the importance of networking and keeping in touch with all the people in my program. Finding my voice came through life experience and encouragement from my peers, and a good dose of studio time.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Artist Statement:
“My work encompasses place, perception, pattern and movement. Place represents where
I stand, literally, or where I am emotionally. Perception is what I interpret at that place.
Pattern is the forefront of each piece, referencing design elements existing in these places;
like Paiute basketry, geography, or skyscapes using colors from that place. The
juxtaposition of these elements enhances movement between what is seen and felt, and
also what shifts visually across the paintings surface. I translate my artwork titles to Nüümü (Paiute) allowing the viewer a glimpse of what I am experiencing within. “
-Karma Henry (Paiute / Italian / Portuguese)

BIO:
Karma Henry was born and raised in California. Her reservation is located near
Independence, California below the majestic Eastern Sierras. Henry is known for her
Geometric Landscapes which reference Paiute Basketry. Her painting titles are in Nüümü
(Paiute) and translated to English, allowing the viewer a glimpse of the ancestral
connection through language that is an elemental part of her work. She now resides in
Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Who else deserves credit in your story?
So many folks have helped me along the way. In school some of my professors, like Samantha Fields, Scott Andrews, Kori Newkirk, Roy Dowell, encouraged me to lean in to my life experience. They showed me that process and practice walk hand in hand when creating. Later, as I met more Native artists, they guided me in the ways of art markets. So many folks, like Melissa Melero-Moose, Eric Tippeconnic, and Nocona Burgess, have helped me along the way, To everyone who has supported me along the way, I am always grateful for your support.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://KarmaHenry.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karmasbrain/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550469501692
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karma-henry-18015273/
• Youtube: https://youtu.be/rKp8t-Recm4?si=-_oqpNXxDpHWprI3
• Other: https://linktr.ee/KarmaHenry

Image Credits
Headshot- credit Shane Henry

Paintings- courtsey of the Artist- Karma Henry