Born and based in Salinas, CA, Karina comes from a rich lineage of artists. Poets, painters, weavers, and important story tellers in their community. From an early age, art was a refuge where Kari learned to express themselves freely through the colors of a palette. Kari grew up sneaking into their father’s art supplies, Jose Luis Carrasco Arias, who served as their personal “Mexican Bob Ross.”

Kari’s intuitive connection with color began moving through abstract and surreal bodies of work, transfusing profound contemplations of cultural shock into something brighter. Con raíces en la comunidad Indijena de San Pedro Bocaneo, Michoacan, the lines dividing person and land dissolve. Kari’s work becomes richer in botanical illustrations, a helpful tool for remembering and sharing the stories of our roots.