ABOUT

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Rosanna Kalis is a versatile contemporary artist specializing in large scale paintings, murals, and custom design.  A first-generation Korean immigrant born and raised in the Washington, DC area, her creative perspective is heavily influenced by her upbringing and time spent living in various cities including DC, San Francisco, Philadelphia, New York City, and Seoul.  Her inspirations include the rawness of wabi-sabi, the lines of traditional Asian art, the intricacies of Art Nouveau, and the irreverent movement of street art.  Rosanna works primarily with fluid acrylics, spray paint, and pen & ink across a variety of surfaces - canvas, wood panels, walls, and more.  She seeks to capture a moment of energy or emotional intensity in a dreamlike setting; whether it is through graphic black and white lines or layers of translucent colors. 

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A self-taught artist with a Wharton MBA, Rosanna spent over 15 years as a finance executive before she pivoted to pursue her longtime creative passion.  In 2018 she opened an art studio in a crumbling warehouse, focusing on large scale abstract paintings.  Spontaneity and looseness is critical to her abstract painting process; each painting session began with doodling on the wood door panels with a black sharpie.  Since erasing was impossible, this exercise forced her to stop seeing mistakes in her art and only see possibilities. Eventually these wall doodles evolved into murals, and during the pandemic, custom shoe design.  Rosanna hopes to never stop experimenting and evolving.   
 

Rosanna exhibited in various art shows and events; her pieces have been sold to collectors nationwide; and she also works with local and national brands, organizations, and private collectors to bring powerful art and design visions to life.  Rosanna is grateful to have had the opportunity to pursue her lifelong dream as a professional artist; but her greatest pride and joy lies in the chaos of raising two destructive little boys with her husband in Fort Lauderdale, FL. 

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