02/13/2026
We are delighted to have Chicago artist Karen Azarnia as our guest juror this year! Having previously served as the O’Connor Gallery director, Karen is well acquainted with the DU community and we are so happy to have her back for our Annual Juried Student Exhibition.
Karen Azarnia is a painter, educator, and independent curator. Born in Miami, FL, she currently lives and works in Chicago. She is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Painting and Drawing at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Azarnia explores time through the lens of memory, home, and natural life cycles. Inspired by an archive of personal photographs, videos, and drawings, the canvas surfaces are poured, wiped, scraped and layered. At once embracing and pushing against art historical tradition, the work operates in the slippage between abstraction and representation, focusing on the play between description of form and gesture of mark. Evoking a dream-like quality, they are a reminder of the basic human emotions that connect us all, and the fluidity of human perception.
Come celebrate the creativity of our students on February 25th, 4-6 - all are welcome!
