ARTIST BIO

Karen Navarro, currently based in Houston, is an Argentinian artist of Mapuche, Guaraní and European descent who works across the mediums of photography, collage, and sculpture. Her work investigates the intersections of identity, representation, race, and belonging in reference to her migrant experience, her Indigenous identity and the history of colonization and its influence. Navarro is interested in the nuances of identity, the constant hybridization of cultures, communication technologies and the concept of beauty—aiming to create, through her work, space for acceptance and existence.
Navarro has won the Artadia Fellowship, the Top Ten Lensculture Critics' Choice Award, and the Houston Center for Photography Beth Block Honoraria, among others. And, in 2024 she was an artist in residence at the Atlantic Center for the Arts, New Smyrna Beach, FL. Her work has been exhibited in the US and abroad. Selected shows include Contemporary Arts Museum Houston (CAMH); Artpace, San Antonio; Galerija Upuluh, Zagreb, Croatia; George Washington Carver Museum, Austin, TX; FAR Center for Contemporary Arts, Bloomington, IN; Holocaust Museum Houston; and Melkweg Expo, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Additionally, Navarro’s work has been featured in numerous publications, including ARTnews, The Guardian, Observer, and Rolling Stone Italia.

ARTIST CV

EDUCATION:

2018 l Glassell School of Art, Photography

2017 l Houston Center for Photography 

2014 l Completed 90 credits towards B. Des., University of Buenos Aires


SOLO EXHIBITIONS:

2025 | "TBC," Koslov Larsen Gallery, Houston, TX

2024 |“El Lado Oculto de la Luna,” FotoFest Biennial participating spaceTANK Space at Spring Street Studios, Houston, TX, USA

2023 | "On Identity" Latino Film Festival, MATCH, Houston TX, USA

2023 l "Somos Millones" Koslov Larsen, Houston TX, USA

2022 l  "The Constructed Self"  FotoFest Biennial participating space, Texas A&M University, College Station TX, USA

2022 l  "América Utópica: Houston," online & KNPH studios, Houston TX, USA

2022 l  "The Constructed Self,"  Big Medium, Austin TX, USA

2021 l "The Constructed Self,"  Pictura Gallery at FAR Center for Contemporary Arts, Bloomington, IN, USA

2021 l "The Constructed Self," Koslov Larsen, Houston TX, USA

2019 l "El Pertenecer en Tiempos Modernos," Gray Contemporary, Houston TX, USA

2019 l "El Pertenecer en Tiempos Modernos," Meet Her Hands, Elisabet Ney Museum, Austin TX, USA


SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS:

2024 | Affordable Art Fair, Koslov Larsen, Austin, TX, USA

2023 | Untitled Art Fair, Miami Art Basel, Galleri Urbane booth, Miami, FL, USA 

2023 | ATS 23, George Washington Carver Museum, Austin, TX, USA

2023 | LatinX Voices, Curated by Nicole Lampl, Reeves House Visual Arts Center, Woodstock, GA, USA

2023 | Expo Chicago, Koslov Laren (ex Foto Relevance) booth, Chicago, USA

2023 |  Zona MACO, Big Medium booth, CDMX, Mexico

2022 l ArtCrush Ghent, Large scale digital projection on building, Ghent, Belgium

2022 l Between digital & physical, Mecena Art, Rome, Italy 

2022 l Intersections, Galleri Urbane, Dallas, TX, USA

2022 l Lensculture New York 2022, Caelum Gallery, New York, NY, USA


2021 l Edition365, British Journal of Photography, newartcity.com 

2021 l Slowed and Throwed: Records of the City Through Mutated Lenses, Curated by Patricia Restrepo, Artpace San Antonio, TX, USA

2021 l l Withstand: Latinx Art in Times of Conflict, Holocaust Museum Houston, TX, USA

2021 l  Fresh, curated by Debra Klomp Ching and Darren Ching, Klompching gallery, Brooklyn, NY, USA

2021 l Center Annual Show, curated by Kris Graves, Houston Center for Photography, Houston, TX, USA 

2021 l TOP 50 Critical Mass, Curated by Elizabeth Avedon, Center for Photographic Art in Carmel, California, USA


2020 l Slowed and Throwed: Records of the City Through Mutated Lenses, Curated by Patricia Restrepo, Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, Houston TX, USA

2020 l  Photo Vogue Festival, Virtual projection part of PHmuseum 2020 Women Photographers Grant, Vogue Italia, Milan, Italy

2020 l Annual Student Exhibition, Glassell School of Art MFAH, Houston TX, USA

2020 l Photo London Digital Fair, Koslov Larsen (ex Foto Relevance) booth

2020 l  VISURA 2020, Zagreb Biennale, Croatian Association of Fine Artists of Applied Arts, ULUPUH Gallery, Zagreb, Croatia.

2020 l Body A, curated by Jessi Bowman, FLATS, Houston TX, USA 


2019 l Alternate Pathways, The Union, Houston TX, USA

2019 l The Nude Show, Curated by Holly Bobisuthi, Museum of Human Achievement, Austin TX, USA

2019 l 1000+1, Curated by Erica Cheung, Koslov Larsen, Houston TX, USA

2019 l Artadia Fellowship Exhibition, Curated by India Lovejoy, Lawndale Art Center, Houston TX, USA

2019 l New Femininity #3, Curated by Laetitia Duveau, Curated by Girls, Melkweg Expo, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

2019 l Intersections, Curated in part by Jonathan Jackson, Presa House Gallery, San Antonio, TX, USA


2018 l lll Salón de Arte Latinoamericano y XVLL Salón Nacional de Arte Fotográfico, Museo de la ReconquistaFotoClub Tigre, Argentina 

2018 l 36th juried Membership Exhibition, Curated by Laura Rathe, Visual Arts Alliance, Houston, TX, USA 

2018 l Deconstructions, Curated by Sabine Casparie, NCV, Houston, TX, USA 

2018 l Mujeres del Sur, Curated by Theresa Escobedo, The Union TX, Houston, TX, USA

2018 l A Feminine Perspective, Curated by Bryan Bauhs, HCC Northline Art Gallery, Houston, TX, USA 

2018 l Learning Curve 11, Curated by Haley Berkman Karren, Houston Center for Photography, Houston, TX, USA 


2017 l Learning Curve 10, Curated by Patricia Restrepo, Houston Center for Photography, Houston, TX, USA 

2017 l Color Theory, Curated by Tatiana Verenuso, Trio Contemporary Art Gallery, Athens, GA, USA 

2017 l Spring Exhibit, Rice University Matchbox Gallery, Houston, TX, USA 


AWARDS / GRANTS / RESIDENCIES:

2024 l Art Lab Fellowship, Discovery Green, Houston/NY, USA

2024 l Houston Arts Alliance, Individual grant, Houston, TX, USA

2024 l Atlantic Center for the Arts, Residency #192, New Smyrna Beach, FL, USA

2023 l Wendy Wagner Foundation, Fall Trio Grant, Houston, TX, USA

2023 l Support for Artists and Creatives Individuals, City of Houston Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, HAA, Houston, TX, USA

2022 l SACI Grant, City of Houston Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, HAA, Houston, TX, USA

2021 l Artadia Award, finalist, Brooklyn, NY, USA

 2021 l Edition365, 1854 & The British Journal of Photography, UK

2021 l Lensculture Critics' Choice, Top Ten, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

2021 l Beth Block Annual Honoraria, Houston Center for Photography, Houston TX, USA

2021 l IPE 163, Shortlisted, The Royal Photographic Society, Bristol, UK

2021  l Lensculture Art Photography Award, Juror's pick, Amsterdam, Netherlands

2021 l Beers Summer Marathon, Shortlisted, London, UK

2021 l The Portrait Project, Finalist, Lucie Foundation, Los Angeles, CA, United States

2020 l PHmuseum 2020 Women Photographers Grant, Shortlisted, Phmuseum, Bologna, Italy

2020 l Photo London Emerging Photographer of the Year Award, Shortlisted, Photo London Fair, London, UK

2020l Annual Student Exhibition, 2D award winner, The Glassell School of Arts/Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX, USA 

2019 l Top 50 Critical Mass, Photolucida, Portland OR, USA

2019 l City's Initiative Grant, Houston Arts Alliance, Houston TX, USA

2019 l The Residency Program April-Sept, Future Front Texas Austin TX, USA

2019 l Houston Artadia Fellowship, Brooklyn, NY, USA

2018 l Giard Robert Fellowship Finalist, The Robert Giard Foundation, New York, NY, USA 

2018 l Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Glassell Scholarship - Photography / Glassell School of Art, Houston,TX, USA


LECTURES / WORKSHOPS:

2023 | Panelist, "Expression is rare, I dare you," Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, TX, USA

2023 | Workshop, Pushing the Boundaries of Collage, Penland School of Craft, Penland NC, USA

2023 | In conversation with Cynthia Woods Mitchell Assistant Curator at the Blaffer Art Museum at the University of Houston, Erika Mei Chua Holum, Larsen Koslov, Houston TX, USA

2022 | In conversation with Senior Curator at Public Art Fund NY, Allison Glenn, online

2022 | Panelist, Photography on the Blockchain, Fotofest, Houston TX, USA

2022 l Artist lecture, Texas Woman's University, Denton TX, USA

2022 l Artist lecture, Texas A&M University, College Station TX, USA

2021  l Kids workshop, Pictura Gallery at FAR Center for Contemporary Arts, Bloomington IN, USA

2020 l Mentor, Artadia Houston fellowship 2020, Artadia, Brooklyn, NY, USA

2020 l Jury, Artadia Houston fellowship 2020, Artadia, Brooklyn, NY, USA

2019 l Presentation, Artadia Fellowship, Lawndale Art Center, Houston TX, USA

2019 l Artist talk, Meet Her Hands, Elisabet Ney Museum, Austin TX, USA

2019 l Jury, Fall photography show, Episcopal High School,  Houston, TX, USA

2019 l Panelist, Alternate Pathways, The Union Gallery, Houston, TX

2018 l Artist talk, A Feminine Perspective, HCC Northline, Houston, TX, USA

2018 l Artist Talk, Learning Curve 11 presented by Haley Berkman Karren, Houston Center for Photography, Houston, TX, USA

2018 l Panelist, Mujeres del Sur, The Union Gallery, Houston, TX


PUBLIC WORKS:

2024 l [ON VIEW] "We See You," Parking Meter Artistic Intervention, UP Art Studio & Downtown District, Houston, TX, USA

2024 l “El Lado Oculto de la Luna,” Digital Display IKE Smart, Orange Barrel Media, 90+ Houston locations

2024 | “El Lado Oculto de la Luna,” Public Art Project across subway line and Palermo neighborhood, Buenos Aires, Argentina

2022 l Public Art digital display IKE Smart, Curated by Allison Glenn, Orange Barrel Media, 40+ Houston locations

2021 l Site-specific Artistic Intervention, Weingarten Art Group, City Centre, Houston TX, USA

2020-2021 l Public Art year-round traveling photography project, Photoville FENCE, Atlanta GA, Brooklyn NY, Denver CO, Durham NC, Houston TX, Sarasota FL, Seattle WA, Winchester MA, New Orleans LA, Fargo and West Fargo ND, Moorhead MN, Calgary Canada

2020 l [ON VIEW] Public Art Storefront commission, WindowWorks, UP Art Studio & Downtown District, Houston, TX, USA

2019 l Public Art Photography commission, The Oral History, City of Sugar Land, Sugar Land, TX, USA

2019 l Public Art billboards, LAN! Conference, Latino Art Now!, Houston Texas, USA


SELECTED PUBLICATIONS:

2024 | Citybook, Popular FotoFest Shows Continue through May: Here Are Our Can't-Miss Picks

2024 | Lenscratch, Al día con Karen Navarro: políticas de visualidad, maternidad y arte público

2024 | Lenscratch, Catching up with Karen Navarro: on the politics of visibility, motherhood, and public art

2024 | Tiempo Argentino, Un retrato diferente de las raíces indígenas: «El lado oculto de la luna»

2023 | Colossal, Karen Navarro Puzzles and Stacks Fragmented Portraits Into Explorations of Identity by Kate Mothes

2023 l ARTnews, The Best Booths at Expo Chicago, From Pleated Knots to Poignant Works About Memory by Max Duron, press

2023 l Lenscratch, Karen Navarro "Somos Millones" at Foto Relevance (now Koslov Larsen), interview

2023 l  Dovetail, Karen Navarro pieces together ancestral narratives, article

2023| Liberation, A la Sorbonne et l’ENS, un colloque pour déconstruire les idées reçues sur la «déconstruction», press

2022 l EXIT, Issue #87, Tipologías del Retrato/ Portrait Typologies

2022 l  Photo Wolrd Magazine (China), Karen Navarro: Building Yourself, interview

2022 | Internazionale, Parlasi Dentro by Caroline Williams, press

2022 l Art Dirt Podcast, Discussing Recent Exhibitions about America, press 

2022 l Not Real Art, ‘América Utópica:’ Karen Navarro Constructs Her Own Shining City on a Hill, article

2022 l The Hopper Prize, Karen Navarro on the organic evolution of a practice, interview

2022 l Aesthetica Magazine, Expanded Photography: Collage and cut outs, article

2022 l Musee Magazine, Woman Crush Wednesday: Karen Navarro, interview

2021 l Houstonia Magazine, 3 Women Artists Who Are Redefining Portrait Photography in Houston, article

2021 l Rolling Stone Italia, Karen Navarro: la fotografia ai confini dell’identità by Manuelaanamaria Accinno, article

2021 l Travel & Leisure Magazine, Houston Might Be the Most Exciting City for Art in the United States, July issue, press

2021 l Aesthetica Magazine, The Constructed Self, printed magazine

2020 l Lensculture, The Contructed Self by Liz Sales, interview

2020 l The Guardian, Best of Photo London Digital 2020 – in pictures, press

2020 | FOA, In the studio with Karen Navarro, interview

2020 l A Women’s Thing, Artist Karen Navarro Investigates Identity as a Social Construct, interview

2020 l Slowed and Throwed: Records of the City Through Mutated Lenses, Exhibition catalog CAMH, publication

2020 l FOA, COVER artist, Vol. 12, publication

2020 l Harper's Magazine, New Books review By Lidija Haas, May issue, press

2020 l ARTnews, Free Money: Artadia’s Unrestricted Grants Are All About Believing in Artists, Spring Issue/The money issue, press/interview

2020 l OBSERVER, Spring’s Best Museum Shows Celebrate the Influence of Daring Experimentalists, press

2020 l The Jealous Curator, Artist feature, press

2020 l Firecracker, Artist of the month feature, press

2020 l  Texas Monthly, A New Museum Exhibit Places DJ Screw’s Legacy Front and Center, press

2020 l Float Magazine, Artist feature, press

2019 l SPOT Magazine, The Constructed Self: An Interview with Karen Navarro, fall issue, interview

2019 l Aint Bad, vol 14, October, publication

2019 l Lenscratch, Karen Navarro El Pertenecer en Tiempos Modernos, press

2018 l Curated by Girls, Artist feature, press

2018 l PHmuseum, Constructing New Identities on Social Media, interview

2017 l Create Magazine, vol. 7, December, publication



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