ABOUT ROMAN:
Roman Karas is a Brooklyn-based painter who creates large-scale woodcuts and painted figurative images. Originally from Ukraine (b. 1975), Roman began creating art at the age of three. His work first gained significant recognition when he was ten, leading to his inclusion in the "SOVIART" group exhibition in Switzerland—one of the first major showcases introducing artists from the former Soviet Union to Western audiences. By age eleven, Roman was creating miniature paintings on found cardboard and household objects, which were acquired by private collectors across Europe.
After relocating to the American Midwest in the early 1990s, Roman continued his art practice and held numerous solo exhibitions in galleries across Wisconsin and Illinois. Upon graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design, he settled in Brooklyn, New York, in the late 90s, which remains his permanent home and base of operations.
Roman's primary media choices are painting and printmaking. He is deeply inspired by poetry and old films. A common focus in Roman's work involves natural themes fused with urban methodology, emphasizing self-discovery, experimentation, and letting the creative process guide the way. His work explores the noise mechanism of urban environments aligned with everyday simple objects surrounding us.
Roman has worked with prominent galleries and art establishments, including Rise Projects (NYC), Flohaus Gallery (NYC), Museum of Chinese in America (LA), Kinokuniya Books (NYC), Hashimoto Contemporary (NYC), CUE Arts Foundation (NYC), Broome Street Gallery (NYC), The New Yorker, Carnegie Hall (NY), DeGraaf Gallery (Chicago), and Lincoln Center (NYC).
ARTIST STATEMENT
My work is inspired by a multitude of elements, including nature, music, life experiences, and the objects that surround me. Much like the weather, my ideas fluctuate; they begin in my mind, where they evolve over many months. While some are ultimately translated into an art form, others simply vanish. To me, art is an unspoken language—a tool to communicate with the viewer and foster a silent dialogue of thoughts, feelings, and emotions. My biggest artistic inspiration is a big city language and unknown things, I hope my art can serve as a healing tool and bring peace to people's homes.
FOR INQUIRES: romakaras9@gmail.com