Ananda KARABO

Los Angeles, CA

“What once represented illness started to resemble abstract landscapes and intricate visual patterns."

Ananda KARABO is a Neo-Expressionist painter based in Los Angeles, interested in identity, perception, and the body. Her paintings translate the often-invisible experience of living with the chronic illness of Multiple Sclerosis into bold, layered visual narratives, where abstraction and figuration sit side by side.

Art was part of Ananda's life from childhood, thanks to a mother who was always drawing and painting. However, after a high school art teacher told her she was "horrible at art," it pushed her away from creating for years. It was her MS diagnosis that brought her back to the canvas. As she puts it, "I make art because it's how I make sense of experiences that are often difficult to put into words." What began as a coping mechanism for chronic pain and uncertainty has since become the foundation of a growing professional practice.

Her process is intuitive rather than fixed. "Every painting begins with stillness," Ananda says. "I start by meditating, allowing myself to reflect on whatever emotions, questions, or experiences are most present in that moment." From there, color takes over. She works primarily in gouache, drawn to its vibrant pigment and matte finish, and oil pastels, which let her blend and layer by hand. Ananda, who also has ADHD, typically works on several paintings at once, moving between them to stay engaged and to give each piece room to evolve at its own pace.

Much of her imagery is informed directly by her medical experience - MRI scans, neurological anatomy, and the day-to-day realities of navigating chronic illness all show up as visual material. She's also drawn to contrasts: light and dark, chaos and calm, strength and vulnerability. "I'm driven by a desire to make the invisible visible, not only my own experiences, but the universal emotions of vulnerability, resilience, hope, and transformation."

Ananda's work has been shown in two solo exhibitions, including Neural Landscapes: Living with MS at the Harbor Community Health Center and a show at the Marilyn Hilton MS Achievement Center at UCLA. She has also participated in more than a dozen group exhibitions across California, Oregon, Arizona, New York, and online, and her work has been featured in publications including Novum Artis Magazine, Pigeon Magazine, KitchenTable Quarterly, and the Pennsylvania Journal of Arts & Science.

Outside the studio, Ananda spends her time on film, photography, reading, and journaling, along with time with her dog, Princess. She's an advocate for disability rights, mental health awareness, and healthcare equity, causes that run parallel to the themes in her paintings.

Ananda sees her partnership with ArtLifting as a meaningful next step in that work. "ArtLifting would allow me to share my work with a broader audience, build a sustainable career as a professional artist, and inspire others by showing that creativity can thrive despite adversity." Being part of an organization built around recognizing ability rather than limitation matters to her directly - Ananda views it as an affirmation that artists with disabilities deserve to be seen, supported, and celebrated for their work, and a chance to grow within a community that shares those values.