Sally Kauffman
Washington , DC
Sally Kauffman, based in Washington, DC, is recognized for her large-scale abstract paintings that depict people and animals engaged in social settings.
Message
Kauffman, a visual artist based in Washington, DC, exhibits in local galleries and exhibition spaces including the Workhouse Arts Center, DCCAH, Studio Gallery, Athenaeum, The Clinical Center Art Program at NIH, McLean Project for the Arts, Schlesinger Art Center, Glen Echo Galleries, Touchstone, Hillyer, Zenith, Joan Hisaoka Healing Arts Center, Studio 1469, Target Gallery. She is the recipient of Juror’s Awards from Anne Reeve of Glenstone and Marybeth Kelley of the Hirschhorn, the Linda and Douglas Scholarship from the Corcoran College of Art + Design, a merit-based artist grant from the Vermont Studio Center Artist Residency program and DCCAH fellowship and juried exhibition grants. Her work is in private and public collections; the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities Fine Art Acquisition Program and the Art and Healing Program/Inova Schar Cancer Institute. She is affiliated with Distinct Studios, Art Watch, DCAC, Washington Project for the Arts and Studio Gallery where she served on the Board of Directors. Kauffman earned a BFA from the University of Kansas and studied at the University of Texas and the Corcoran College of Art + Design.
Statement
Sally Kauffman, a Washington, DC-based visual artist, is known for her large-scale, abstract yet illusory paintings depicting people and animals in social and communal settings. Her recent series, inspired by scenes from Malcolm X Park, captures Washingtonians engaging in activities including picnicking, hula hooping, Jiu Jitsu, juggling, gymnastics, skating, playing, dancing, and listening to music. These works celebrate the joy of gathering after pandemic isolation, emphasizing the fundamental human instinct for connection and restoration.
Kauffman's creative process begins with photographing her subjects in the park. In her studio, she composes experimental digital collages, adjusting elements and enhancing color intensity to form a rich, layered starting point for her paintings. Using transparent oil washes as a foundation, she applies expressive brushwork to build fluid, dynamic surfaces that balance visual beauty with underlying tension.
Kauffman draws inspiration from the grand Baroque frescoes to the luminous palettes and expressive forms of the Neo-Rococo movement. Her work creates a sense of escape, inviting viewers into a world of pleasure and delight.