10 Artists from Cincinnati, OH, Everyone Needs to Know

Andrey Kozakov is from Kiev, Ukraine, and came to the U.S. in 1994. His work, including architectural pieces like cabinets, has a surrealist/magical realist quality. He exhibits frequently at Cincinnati Art Underground and has been an artist-in-residence at Vermont Studio Center.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BeZJ1ZhhB5s/?hl=en&tagged=andreykozakov

Born and raised in Cincinnati, OH, artist Didem Mert received her BFA in ceramics from Northern Kentucky University and an MFA in ceramics from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. She’s been featured in Architectural Digest and exhibited her pottery and other ceramics works at about fifty venues across the country.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Benkop6Bnm0/?hl=en&tagged=didemmert

Interdisciplinary artist Radha Lakshmi received her BFA from the Art Academy in Cincinnati and an MFA from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. She was born in southern India, and her work engages with themes of the divine feminine, sacred geometry, and women’s ritual arts. She has been a visiting scholar and artist at RISD, Australia and College of Fine Arts, and other institutions.

https://www.instagram.com/p/tP6gemQhkZ/?hl=en&tagged=radhalakshmi

An Assistant Professor in the School of Art at the University of Cincinnati, Amanda Curreri creates mixed-media, interdisciplinary work that often employs the use of textiles and draws from feminist and queer themes. She has an MFA from the California College of the Arts and is represented by Romer Young Gallery in San Francisco, California.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BBak5EdqXFc/?hl=en&tagged=amandacurreri

Sara Pearce is a printmaker who has worn many hats, including journalist and editor. She specializes in 3D paper artwork, collage, and greeting cards. She helped to found Gallery 708 on Cincinnati’s Walnut Street and has had a solo exhibition at the Loveland (Colorado) Museum.

https://www.instagram.com/p/4H2C_7i6DD/?hl=en&tagged=sarapearce

Todd Kunkler‘s work is in-your-face and politically charged, resisting the violence of what he calls “the hyper-mediated visual culture of our post-digital age.” He’s had recent exhibits at Cleveland’s H Space and Majestic Galleries in Nelsonville, OH.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BX22GMLDZ4f/?hl=en&tagged=toddkunkler

Britni Bicknaver describes herself as a seventh-generation Cincinnatian, and her art education reflects that background: She has a BFA from the Art Academy of Cincinnati and an MFA from the University of Cincinnati. She’s trained in drawing and sculpture but also works with sound. Currently, her alternative “Audio Tour” is available for visitors to Cincinnati’s Contemporary Arts Center.

https://www.instagram.com/p/oZFeNuGj7T/?hl=en&tagged=britnibicknaver

Though he’s originally from the Ukraine and currently based in Cincinnati, photographer Viktor Posnov travels all over to capture his hidden landscapes. Recently, he trekked through the fjords on Newfoundland’s South Coast to get some of his breathtaking stills. His work has been featured in magazines such as Outside, The Washington Post, and Backpacker.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bcc1K-qlzo0/?hl=en&tagged=viktorposnov

A professor at the University of Cincinnati College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning, Ryan Mulligan often undertakes design and art projects that intersect with social justice and community needs. He recently created a “sensory putt-putt course” for the Contemporary Arts Center’s quirky Unmuseum to educate other families about autism. He has also directed initiatives to improve the art at community health care centers and the long-term care section at Cincinnati Children’s.

Born and raised in Cincinnati, Casey Riordan Millard specializes in what she calls “mental hiccups,” asking viewers to take a moment to experience wonder and magic (or confusion) before they try to make sense of what they’re seeing. She was an Ohio Book Award Nominee for her picture book, Shark Girl and Belly Button, published by Blue Manatee Press. Her famous character Shark Girl appears in nearly all of her work, at Cincinnati’s Contemporary Arts Center, and in public art across the country.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BS2GFO8BHgZ/?hl=en&tagged=unmuseum