B. 1994
American–Peruvian

Katherine Martínez began her artistic career in 2016, pursuing her education through a combination of community college coursework, workshops, and mentorship. With a foundation that blends classical training and contemporary sensibility, she has developed a body of work that ranges from plein air studies to more refined studio paintings.

While her work is rooted in representation, Martínez is equally drawn to capturing the essence of her subject. She moves fluidly between expressive passages and more resolved, lifelike forms, allowing each painting to reflect both observation and interpretation.

Born in Dallas, Texas to Peruvian parents, her work is shaped by a dual cultural perspective. Her paintings are influenced not only by the environments she encounters across the United States, but also by her connection to her heritage, having returned to Peru over the years as a source of inspiration.

Now based in St. Louis, Missouri, Martínez is dedicated full-time to her practice, balancing commissions, gallery work, plein air painting, and life study. Her work has been featured in Southwest Art Magazine as part of “21 Under 31: Young Artists to Watch” (2020).

Her paintings have been recognized through juried exhibitions with organizations including the Oil Painters of America and the American Impressionist Society. She is a scholarship member of the Salmagundi Club in New York, and her work has been exhibited at institutions such as the A.R. Mitchell Museum of Western Art and the Missouri History Museum.

Martínez has received multiple awards for her work, including Best of Show at the Best & Brightest Juried Exhibition at Scottsdale Artists’ School.

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