Artist Bio

Karla Thomas holds a degree in Painting and Art History from Marywood University in Scranton, Pennsylvania. They also attended the Burren College of Art in County Clare, Ireland. Karla lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and three small children.

Artist Statement

Karla Thomas creates ceramic work that focuses around themes of sexuality, gender and identity. They have exhibited paintings, sculptural work and printmaking in New York City, Ireland and Pennsylvania. Karla’s work is heavily informed by her personal experiences as a neurodivergent, queer and non-binary person. Their current body of work explores the historical feminization of tea and the concurrent dehumanization and objectification of women and vulvas.

What does “Gaze” mean to you & how do you connect it to your work?

In this current body of work the phrase “Gaze” is reflected in the objectification of the vulva. The predominant gaze of our society is the Male Gaze that simultaneously devalues the human connected to the vulva and objectifies the vulva as a commodity intended for male consumption. The viewpoint, or gaze, that is celebrated and promoted within a group shapes the way that even the owner of the vulva views themselves.