Caren Jo Shapiro, artist

Lives and liberties are being eroded and destroyed. Institutional and individual aggressions are increasingly normalized, idealized and repackaged as patriotism, family values, and religious righteousness. These aggressions have grown more ruthless, extreme and widespread in recent years.

As a member of the LGBTQIA community, an outspoken feminist, a Jewish woman who has experienced discrimination and antisemitism, and a psychotherapist/visual artist, my work highlights the social conditions that undermine individual agency. Through use of bold paint on oversized canvas, my work exposes my outrage. My work reveals the emotional impact of the undermining of individuals’ rights, and their ability to live empowered lives. Grappling with issues of violence against women and children, sexual abuse, sexuality, race, gender and “femininity/masculinity,” I confront deeply embedded social beliefs and values. My paintings viscerally expose the impact of, and adaptation to a society that denies its own exclusion, oppression, and exploitation.

Born and raised in New York City, Caren Jo Shapiro is a visual artist and psychotherapist working in private practice. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Science in Psychology and went on to earn a Masters in Fine Arts from the School of Visual Arts – New York, a Masters in Social Work from NYU, and postgraduate training with WTCI.