HAND BUILT CANVAS ART
made in chicago, il
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Britni Mara (goes by Mara) is a Chicago-based visual artist who earned her BFA in Studio Art from Bradley University in 2013. The following year, she pursued post-graduate studies at the Siena Art Institute in Italy, and since then, she has been passionately creating fine art.
For Mara, the purpose of creating is to manufacture work that embodies meaning. Her art is an intrinsic reflection of her existence, constantly striving to capture the randomness of movement. Drawn to painting as her primary medium, she has a deep, sensory attachment to the physicality of pigment—the way it pushes, pulls, and interacts with the canvas. Her process is guided by intuition and years of experience, as she seeks to transform chaos into a harmonious, intentional happenstance. Through her work, she aims to impose structure onto coincidence, finding freedom in gestural energy and peace in the interplay of color fields. Her practice is rooted in the spirit of post-war abstract expressionism.
In addition to her own artistic endeavors, Mara is dedicated to creating opportunities for emerging artists. In 2020, she founded The Hallway Gallery, a pop-up-style gallery in the Chicagoland area focused on showcasing female and non-binary artists. Her goal is to turn underutilized spaces, like hallway walls, into platforms for first-time and up-and-coming artists to be seen and supported.
Mara's original works have been exhibited and sold globally, and in the fall of 2023, she took her art on the road. After purchasing an old Dodge Sprinter, Mara embarked on a journey to heal from burnout, embracing the outdoors while continuing her creative practice. Although Chicago will always be home, her current travels reflect both a personal and artistic evolution. As an avid rock climber, she’s excited to pursue new challenges and personal goals while maintaining her art practice. Mara is now happily welcoming commissions from anywhere, at any time. She’s mobile, and making art from the road. please inquire here for custom work.
