Karina Sharif | Artist Overview

Karina Sharif is a multidisciplinary paper artist based in Brooklyn, NY. Her work explores wearable and non wearable sculpture; highlighting multitudes of the divine, Black, femme. Sharif focuses on rest, adornment, space and sensory encounters as catalysts for her vision and centers Black bodies, minds and experience throughout her work. Each piece by Sharif serves as a form of therapy and restitution for individuals within her constituency. Originally from Boston, Massachusetts, Sharif moved to New York at age 19 to attend Pratt institute where she completed her BFA in Fashion and design. After graduating, she worked as a fashion designer and technical designer for numerous brands before transitioning to wardrobe styling.  Sharif began working with paper in 2019. Today she combines her dedication to the medium as an endless source of form and possibility with her nearly 20 years of sewing, styling and construction experience. This intriguing union has allowed Sharif to fully embody the range of her visions; ensuring her devotion to Black femmhood and her chosen medium boldly encourage viewers to experience how the two are intertwined.