Karen Rifas

Known for a bold body of work centered on studies of geometry, form, & color, Karen Rifas brings contemplative works to her viewers that question the delicate balance between the made & the discovered. Informed by her surroundings, Rifas has documented the constant flux of Miami (among other destinations of inspiration) through a visual language backed by mathematical precision finished with unexpected palettes that evoke a sense of serenity. In the words of the artist, “My work serves as an illusion for a delusional era. In a world overwhelmed by noise... I find refuge in a surreal yet structured realm of color, line, and form.”

Karen Rifas (b. 1942, Chicago) received a BFA and MFA from the University of Miami (1985, 1987 respectively) and steadily made her mark on the national & international art scenes, having consistently exhibited across both from the late 1980’s onward. From solo & group exhibitions, public art projects, and distinguished collections alike, Rifas has accumulated an extensive curriculum.

Notable solo exhibitions include Defining Spaces: Selections from the Karen Rifas Papers, in 2019 (Dimensions Variable, Miami, FL), To Weave a Threshold, and Miami to Maine, in 2022 and 2025 (Emerson Dorsch Gallery, Miami, FL). She has also exhibited in group exhibitions such as Artful Books, in 2021 (curated by Barbara Young at the Museum of Art and Sciences, Daytona Beach, FL) At the Edge, (Oolite Arts, Miami Beach, FL) and In the Company of Women: At Large, (LnS Gallery, Miami, FL) both in 2022.

Recent achievements include participation in the Oolite Arts Home + Away Residency at Mass MoCA (North Adams, MA), the Artist-in-Residence Program at the Deering Estate (Cutler Bay, FL), as well as receiving an Ellies Creator Award, and a commission for the Miami Dade Civil & Probate Courthouse by way of the Art In Public Places Initiative of Miami, FL (all 2025). Additionally, she received the prestigious Michael Richards Lifetime Achievement Award presented by Oolite Arts in 2019.

Karen Rifas work resides in the permanent collections of The Bass Museum of Art (Miami Beach, FL), Perez Art Museum, Miami (Miami, FL), Museum of Contemporary Art (North Miami, FL), NSU Art Museum (Ft. Lauderdale, FL), and Museo de Arte de Ponce (Ponce, Puerto Rico).

ARTWORKS

9470

2025
acrylic on Arches hot pressed 140lb paper
45 x 45 inches | 114.3 x 114.3 cm.

0346

2016
acrylic on Arches hot pressed 140lb paper
45 x 45 inches | 114.3 x 114.3 cm.

6438

2021
acrylic on Arches hot pressed 140lb paper
30 x 22 ½ inches | 76.2 x 57.15 cm.

6345

2021
acrylic on Arches hot pressed 140lb paper
22 ½ x 30 inches | 57.15 x 76.2 cm.

3793

2020
acrylic on Arches hot pressed 140lb paper
45 x 45 inches | 114.3 x 114.3 cm.

3792

2020
acrylic on Arches hot pressed 140lb paper
45 x 45 inches | 114.3 x 114.3 cm.