Krista Franklin: behind the groove

January 26 – March 5, 2026

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installation view of the exhibition space with artworks displayed on the walls

installation view of the exhibition space with artworks displayed on the wall

An abstract watercolor painting containing large areas of black with vibrant colors in between, along with cutout paper images pasted on top

Eye of the Storm, 2022, watercolor, ink, and collage on paper

A crinkled piece of rough white paper is the background for a collage of paper, textures, and images, featuring three individual photos of women in the middle

A Feeling Is..., 2023, deconstructed album cover and collage in handmade paper

A collage of textured papers featuring text excerpts and cutouts of grayscale images

Too Hot to Handle, 2023, collage and handmade paper

A collage of magazine images used to create a garden setting, with natural greenery and a wooden statue as the focal point

Secret Garden (for Quincy), 2018, collage on magazine page

A sepia-toned photo of a small child sits in front of a cutout image of a vibrant pink flower set in the center of a piece of rough white paper with patches of faded blue and yellow paint

Bloom, 2013, collage and pencil on handmade pape

A collage of colorful shapes and pasted images from magazines on a background of receipt paper

The Demand for Freedom, 2024, collage on ledger paper

A poem hand-written with white pen on a background of black paper

Pieces of a Dream, 2010, pen on paper

A scattered collage of cut out shapes and small images with the center focal point of a couple's picture

I'm Dreaming the Same Thing Too, 2017, collage, watercolor, graphite, and feathers

An album cover poster obscured by a layer of rough-textured paper that peels away and reveals the poster at the center

Lords of the Underground, 2016, album cover and mixed media in handmade paper

A textured collage of vibrant watercolor patches, cut out images of people, text excerpts, and hand-drawn pencil illustrations

Justify, 2021, watercolor, ink, oil pastel, pencil, pen, and collage on paper

About the Artist

Krista Franklin is an internationally recognized visual artist, writer, poet, performer, and lecturer from the U.S. Midwest. Her handmade paper and mixed-media collages, along with her poetry, explore themes of surrealism, utopian and dystopian visions, and are underscored by motifs of beauty, self-reflection, and expansive histories.

Franklin’s work has earned her numerous accolades, including the Joan Mitchell Foundation Painters & Sculptors Grant, the Ron Offen Poetry Prize from the University of Chicago, and the ICI–Joyce Foundation Research Fellowship, among many others.

@therealkristaf

Curated by Martinez E-B
Co-sponsored by The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Artist Talk & Reception

Thursday, February 26

11:15am, room E108