‘Samaras’ 62.5 x 27×2 inches, acrylic and 3D printed in resin pieces on oak wood panels, 2023. (Acquired by Sage Atlanta through Living Walls)
Sage Discovery Center Headquarters, Ponce City Market, Atlanta Ga.
On view at Free Market Gallery, Atlanta Ga in 2023.
‘Roseta Lecanora’(Collab with BramDos Studio) 36x36x2 inches, Acrylic, Resin, Oak, Glass Beads and Composite Fibers, steel, LED lights, 2023.
(Solo Exhibition ‘In Between:The Familiar and the New‘ at FreeMarket Gallery, Atlanta, GA, 2023.)
Such a special piece to me and so relevant to the concept of my solo show because my parents were part of the fabrication process. Unconditional love, craft, connection, nature, home.
‘Wood Ear’, 16x12x6.5 inches, acrylic, resin, oak wood, 2023.
(Solo Exhibition ‘In Between:The Familiar and the New‘ at FreeMarket Gallery, Atlanta, GA, 2023.)
Arete de Inca (Inca Earrings), 9×12 inches, oil pastels and paint pens on pastel coated paper, 2023.Luna de Monte, 30×23 inches, airbrush acrylics, wax and oil pastels on Arches 88 paper, 2023.Gunnera de Papallacta, 30×23 inches, airbrush acrylics and oil pastels on Arches 88 paper, 2023.Flor de Gunnera, 30×23 inches, airbrush acrylics and oil pastels on Arches 88 paper, 2023.Untitled, 12″x10″, airbrush, paintpens, colored pencils, latex on paper, 2022. Lecanora Muralis 1, 22″x22″, airbrush and screenprint on paper, 2022.Lecanora Muralis 3, 22″x22″, airbrush and screenprint on paper, 2022.Brisa, mixed media on paper, 6″x6″,2021Flama, mixed media on paper, 6″x6″, 2021Germina, mixed media on paper, 6″x6″, 2021EQUILIBRIA, mixed media on paper, 11″x15″, 2021.ROOTED, mixed media on paper, 30″x24″, 2021,AERIAL, mixed media on paper, 30″x24″, 2021.
Rebirth, mixed media on print, 10″x8″,2021Newborn, mixed media on print, 11″x8.5″, 2021.Spring Showers – One Year of COVID-19, mixed media on paper, 11″x8.5″, 2021 Restauration, mixed media on paper, 11″x15″, 2021. SOLDLife in Balance, Mixed media on paper, 2020Sediment, ink, gouache, paint pen, and mica minerals on paper, 2020Untitled, ink, oil stick, and mica minerals on paper, 2020Bleedings, ink and watercolor on paper, 2020Bleeding Balance, ink, gouache, paint pen, and pencil on paper, 2020Shelter, ink, gouache, and pencil on paper, 2020 Untitled, mixed media collage on paper, 2020Through the Mist, mixed media collage on paper, 2020THROB, mixed media on paper, 2020. SOLD
Immersive Installation — Forest Canopy, Textile, Soft Sculpture, Sound & Interactive Media PNC Play Space, Alliance Theatre, Woodruff Arts Center — January 2026
Commissioned by Dash Studio
Bossa Nova Baby: The Lungs of the Earth is an immersive, multi-sensory installation that transports families into a reimagined Amazon rainforest environment. Designed for early learners and their caregivers, the work transforms the PNC Play Space into a tactile and interactive ecosystem where play, exploration, and environmental awareness converge.
Developed as a collaborative project, my contribution focused on the design and fabrication of the suspended forest canopy, the large-scale textile mural, and a series of soft sculptural frog forms. These elements draw from research into rainforest ecologies, centering the often-overlooked world of the forest floor—where amphibians, fungi, and microorganisms shape complex systems of life.
Blurring the boundaries between art, education, and play, the installation fosters curiosity and ecological awareness while creating an environment of wonder, care, and discovery. The work reimagines the rainforest as a living, relational system—inviting deeper reflection on our connection to fragile ecosystems.
Exterior Mural, 1,500 sq ft Savannah, Georgia — April 2025
Commissioned through Living Walls for Mojo Car Washes
Aqua is a large-scale exterior mural that transforms the architectural surface into a fluid, immersive environment inspired by the movement and essence of water. Drawing from natural elements such as river currents, pebbles, minerals, and aquatic vegetation, the composition unfolds as a dynamic visual landscape that enhances the customer experience through color, rhythm, and motion.
A recurring infinity motif weaves through the mural, symbolizing cycles of renewal, water reuse, and sustainability—core principles aligned with the client’s operational values. Layered transparencies, flowing lines, and organic forms create a sense of depth and continuous movement, inviting viewers into a space that feels both energizing and meditative.
The color palette integrates blues and greens derived from natural ecosystems, balanced with brand-aligned tones and informed by color psychology to evoke freshness, clarity, and vitality. Through this work, the everyday act of visiting a car wash is reframed as a moment of visual engagement and environmental reflection.
Budget: $18,000 Commission: Living Walls Client: Mojo Car Washes
Samaras
Screenshot
Public Mural, 1,300 sq ft North Avenue MARTA Station Plaza, Midtown Atlanta — 2024
Commissioned by Norfolk Southern and Midtown Alliance in partnership with MARTA Artbound
Samaras is a large-scale public mural that transforms the North Avenue transit plaza into a vibrant, immersive visual landscape inspired by the ephemeral beauty of spring. Drawing from the form and movement of maple seedpods—known as samaras—the composition captures a sense of lightness, dispersal, and continuous motion.
Flowing shapes and layered color fields create a surreal, dynamic environment that responds to the energy of the site and the constant movement of commuters. The imagery evokes wind currents and natural cycles, translating them into an abstracted language that invites both pause and passage.
Conceptually, the work reflects themes of outreach, renewal, and collective vitality. The drifting samaras become symbols of growth and possibility, mirroring Midtown’s evolving cultural landscape and the interconnected rhythms of its community. Through color, scale, and movement, the mural reimagines the transit space as a site of encounter, optimism, and shared experience.
Permanent Public Sculpture Promenade de Sculptures, SCAD Lacoste, France — October 2022
Commissioned by Savannah College of Art and Design
Harmonie is a permanent outdoor sculpture created for the Promenade de Sculptures at SCAD Lacoste, in celebration of the campus’s 20th anniversary. Developed through a contemplative and research-driven process, the work emerges from sustained observation of natural systems and seasonal transformations, particularly within the Chattahoochee River landscape in Roswell, Georgia.
Rooted in a practice of attentiveness, the sculpture reflects an ongoing inquiry into how ecosystems shift over time—how light, texture, color, and form evolve, and how these changes shape human perception and interaction. Organic rhythms found in river currents, rock formations, lichen growth, and shifting vegetation inform the sculptural language, resulting in a composition that feels both grounded and in motion.
The work embodies a triadic relationship between artist, nature, and creation. It translates moments of sensory and emotional resonance—such as the stillness of a sunset, the quiet complexity of forest ecologies, and the atmospheric presence of lavender fields in Provence—into a spatial form that invites contemplation.
Situated within the historic landscape of Lacoste, Harmonie extends the site’s natural and cultural beauty while offering viewers a space to pause, reflect, and attune to the subtle harmonies that connect environment, body, and creative expression.
Public Art Installation, 5,600 sq ft Atlanta, Georgia — September 2022
Commissioned by SCAD SERVE in partnership with the City of Atlanta
This large-scale basketball court mural transforms Mozley Park into a vibrant, community-centered visual landmark in Southwest Atlanta. Designed as part of SCAD SERVE’s public art initiative, the project reimagines the recreational court as both a functional and symbolic gathering space.
The composition draws inspiration from the visual language of African Kente cloth, integrating bold geometric patterning and a dynamic color palette of yellow, purple, blue, and white. At its center, a circular motif references both a lemon slice—acknowledging local history—and the Ghanaian Ananse Ntontan (spider web) symbol, traditionally associated with wisdom, creativity, and the interconnectedness of knowledge.
Through its scale and chromatic intensity, the mural activates the court as an immersive environment that fosters joy, movement, and social interaction. The work reflects a commitment to community engagement, cultural dialogue, and the transformative potential of public space through art.
Recognized for its impact, the project received a Community Design Award from the City of Atlanta’s Department of City Planning.
Public Mural, 375 sq ft Shops of Buckhead, Atlanta, Georgia — March 2019
Multiplicity in Color is a vibrant public mural that celebrates Atlanta’s cultural diversity through the lens of fashion, identity, and self-expression. Conceived as an “Ode to Fashion,” the composition merges stylized faces, bold geometric forms, and patterned surfaces into a dynamic visual tapestry.
The interplay of features, textures, and accessories reflects a transcultural and evolving community, where individuality and collective identity coexist. Layered compositions and overlapping perspectives create a sense of movement and multiplicity, echoing the energy of a city shaped by diverse influences.
The color palette—balancing warm and cool tones—is inspired by Atlanta’s summer sunsets, infusing the work with a sense of vibrancy, warmth, and atmosphere. Through its bold visual language, the mural transforms the commercial space into a site of cultural reflection, celebrating diversity as both aesthetic and lived experience.
Temporary Chalk Mural Installation Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Hughes Spalding, Atlanta, Georgia — May 2020
Created in collaboration with Savannah College of Art and Design alumni and faculty
This temporary chalk mural was created at the main entrance of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Hughes Spalding as part of the SCAD Sidewalk Arts Festival. Developed during a moment of collective uncertainty and resilience, the project served as a gesture of gratitude toward healthcare professionals on the front lines.
Through vibrant color, expressive mark-making, and an uplifting visual language, the mural transformed the hospital’s entryway into a site of appreciation, encouragement, and human connection. The work aimed to bring moments of joy and visibility to those dedicating their labor and care to the well-being of others.
Ephemeral by nature, the chalk medium reinforces the immediacy of the message—an offering rooted in presence, community, and collective acknowledgment.
Collaboration: SCAD Alumni & Faculty Location: Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Hughes Spalding, Atlanta, Georgia
Peachtree St NE@17th St NE. Marta bus stop bench with shed. One block away from the High Museum of Art. Homeless woman. Pile of IKEA bags. Cold day. Woman talking to herself. Woman playing with her hands. Sunny day. Woman staring into space. Woman rejecting spare change. Woman stretching her feet. Hot day. Woman swinging her body back and forth. Rainy day. Woman smiling to herself. Cloudy day. Woman rejecting food. Woman talking and smiling to herself. Woman playing with her hands. Sunny day. Woman staring into space. Windy day. Woman rejecting spare change. Woman stretching her feet. Hot day. Woman swinging her body back and forth. Rainy day. Woman smiling to herself…
Lecanora Muralis 1, 22″x22″, airbrush and screenprint on paper, 2022.Lecanora Muralis 3, 22″x22″, airbrush and screenprint on paper, 2022.
Digital Painting printed on watercolor paper
Serigraphy
On the Edge
On the Edge The King of Atlanta
Photolithography
1/5 “Cranes” from the series “Landscapes of Gentrification”, photolithography, 2018 2/5 “Cranes” from the series “Landscapes of Gentrification”, photolithography, 2018 3/5 “Cranes” from the series “Landscapes of Gentrification”, photolithography, 2018
4/5 “Cranes” from the series “Landscapes of Gentrification”, photolithography, 2018
Serigraphy
8/8, “Invasion” from the series “Structures of Gentrification”, serigraphy, 21 x 21 inches, 2018 5/8, “Invasion” from the series “Structures of Gentrification”, serigraphy, 21 x 21 inches, 2018 6/8, “Invasion” from the series “Structures of Gentrification”, serigraphy with reflective tape, 21 x 21 inches, 2018 1/8, “Invasion” from the series “Structures of Gentrification”, serigraphy, 21 x 21 inches, 2018 4/8, “Invasion” from the series “Structures of Gentrification”, serigraphy with reflective tape, 21 x 21 inches, 2018 2/8, “Invasion” from the series “Structures of Gentrification”, serigraphy, 21 x 21 inches, 2018 7/8, “Invasion” from the series “Structures of Gentrification”, serigraphy, 21 x 21 inches, 2018 3/8, “Invasion” from the series “Structures of Gentrification”, serigraphy with reflective tape, 21 x 21 inches, 2018
I am a multidisciplinary artist working across fiber, sculpture, painting, and installation to create immersive environments that explore the relationship between body, landscape, and spirit. Rooted in my Ecuadorian and Andean heritage, my work draws from memories of cloud forests, river systems, and ancestral material traditions that understand making as both cultural practice and spiritual act.
Through processes of layering, binding, and transformation, I combine textiles, sculptural elements, and found natural materials with contemporary techniques such as 3D printing. I am interested in how materials carry memory—how fiber, mineral, and organic matter hold traces of time, gesture, and place—and how these elements can be brought together to form hybrid bodies that exist between artifact and living form.
Influenced by pre-Columbian cosmologies, my practice engages making as a way of generating connection: between past and present, body and land, material and spirit. My installations often extend beyond the wall into space, creating environments that invite a slower, more sensory mode of perception.
I think of these works as sites of awareness—spaces where boundaries soften and where a deeper relationship to memory, nature, and belonging can emerge.
2023
Driven by an unconscious search for the familiar and a sense of belonging through contemplative practices in nature, I have situated myself as an intimate and playful neighbor of the forest and the river next-door for the past few years. The Chattahoochee River in Roswell, Ga, and sporadic visits to Papallacta, Ecuador -a biodiverse cloud forest region in my hometown- have therefore informed my body of work since 2020. I have been observant of nature ́s mechanisms and transitions, its resilience and pace, the speed and the quietness, the flourishing of orderly and diverse phenological patterns…What remains within never-ending mutation cycles? What persists? These abstract mixed media works become a biomorphic multi-perspective assemblage of sensorial and affective information gathered from two specific river sites, those who have awakened intuitive and old childlike practices, as well as quotidian pursuits of home traces in nature ́s drifts.
2021-2022
My work explores ideas revolving around the human condition and existential concerns through different art-making processes that include drawing, painting, installation, and objects. From the standpoint of my own perception and approach to my surroundings and motivated by the urge to connect with others and existence, to investigate the idea of balance, to relate to human struggles from an individual and collective perspective, my artistic practice is nurtured by observation and assimilation of the world around me (natural and urban ecosystems). My artistic practice and bodies of work mutate and evolve according to variables of time, place, and personal + global circumstances manifesting into non-objective, pattern based mixed media works. Some of the concepts examined are longing, alienation, transformation, resilience, decay, fecundity, rebirth, adaptability, fragility, impermanence, relentlessness.
2020
My work is an exploration of analogies between the human condition and nature. Individual and collective dynamics affected by inner mechanisms and ecosystemic agents. My making process and artistic practice seek to examine ideas of resilience, transformation, rebirth, tension, balance, transition, uncertainty, impermanence. The imagery and mark making vocabulary in my mixed media drawings and paintings come from the recollection of visual information took in from holistic immersions in natural sites in Atlanta, Ga like the Chattahoochee river area and Stone Mountain.
2018 – 2019
My work examines the relation between urban development and the human condition. I am interested in analyzing and questioning the impact of a booming urban ecosystem over its inhabitants and their interactions within those transforming surroundings. Through a multidisciplinary approach that combines video installation, painting, drawing, and printmaking I intend to tackle societal challenges and hurdles such as the fragmentation of communities, sterilization of areas of the city, and homogenization of populations. The formal language and color palette of the work is drawn from the recognition and observation of visual information and marking systems in the utility sector and construction industry, as well as from an intimate and more personal processes and interactions with simple living organisms such as kidney bean sprouts that I grow in cotton balls.
Carla Contreras is an Ecuadorian-American multidisciplinary visual artist and educator based in Atlanta, Georgia with a master’s degree in Painting from the Savannah College of Art and Design. Informed by the experience of living by the Chattahoochee River area in Roswell, Georgia and sporadic visits to Papallacta, Ecuador -a biodiverse cloud forest region in her hometown, Contreras is interested in exploring the idea of home and existence through contemplative practices in nature. Her two-dimensional and three-dimensional mixed media works on paper, wood, canvas, and resin become a biomorphic visual assemblage of sensorial information gathered from the natural sites that she explores. Contreras is the first artist-in-residence at Norfolk Southern Corp in Atlanta, Georgia since 2021, is currently working on a big public project mural for an important train station in the city and was recently commissioned a public sculpture for SCAD Lacoste in France. Her work is part of the Microsoft Art Collection and has been exhibited at The Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia, the Mint Museum (Charlotte, NC), the Hambidge Art Auction, the ART PAPERS Auction, SCAD Art Sales, O/Art and The City Auction, and local contemporary galleries like FreeMarket Gallery, Echo Contemporary, MINT, EYP/100, and Besharat. Contreras has been featured in covers, publications, and reviews for the AJC Journal, ELYSIAN Magazine’s Arts and Culture 2020 issue, Studio Visit Magazine, BURNAWAY, ArtsATL, SHOUTOUT Atlanta, and the VoyageATL Magazine for their “Thought Provokers: celebrating artists & creatives” Series.
You can learn more about her work on the links below:
CARLA.CONTRERAS.ART 