Katherine Virag

Katie Virag is a native of Detroit, MI. She received a BFA in Sculpture and a BS in Psychology from Louisiana State University in 2013 and did additional studies at SUNY Buffalo State. Virag has had several solo exhibitions in the Western New York area, as well as a two-person show in Paonia, CO during a summer residency at Elsewhere Studios. Her work has also been included in several group shows nationwide. She is currently an MFA candidate in Studio Art at Syracuse University and has a studio at Buffalo Arts Studios in Buffalo, NY.

As a multidisciplinary artist, Virag’s work informs viewers of the complexities associated with mental illness and subsequent maladaptive coping mechanisms in an effort to break societal stigmas, encourage empathy and initiate dialogue surrounding mental illness. She elaborates in her artist statement:

I create multidisciplinary artworks showing the psychological complexities underlying mental illness and maladaptive coping mechanisms. There is a process of destruction, and reconstruction of personal identity that happens in experiencing a mental illness and the subsequent treatment. This process of breakdown and recovery is a central focus of my work. Experiencing a mental illness or maladaptive state creates both a fragmented reality and a fragmented view of oneself and one’s identity, however, identity struggles are something that most people have at some level during their lifetime even without experiencing an adverse mental health condition. My work pushes people to look at these issues with empathy and opens a dialogue about these topics and eradicate the stigma that still surrounds mental illness.[1]

More information on Virag and her work can be found on her website: https://katherinevirag.com/