Katya Vaz

Katya Vaz is a multidisciplinary artist based in New Orleans, Louisiana. Born in Moscow, Russia, and raised in New Orleans, she has spent significant time in both cities, and their contrasting influences lie at the heart of her work. Her artistic practice explores how emotional connections shape our perception of physical spaces, often representing them through evocative imagery that feels like a glimpse into someone’s memories.

Her creative processes draw inspiration from natural principles, many of which reveal a potential for growth and proliferation. This multiplicity reflects the ways in which natural and cultural systems evolve and interact, reinforcing the idea that nothing exists in isolation but is part of a dynamic, interconnected whole. Vaz is particularly drawn to processes that mimic organic growth and transformation, as well as those that explore the interplay between light and time.

She is honored to be a recipient of the Fulbright–Harriet Hale Woolley Scholarship for 2025–2026. During this period, she will explore how the Seine has shaped Paris from a geospatial, social, and cultural perspective through academic research and interviews. This research will inform a new body of work that will function as an archive, offering a phenomenological interpretation of the Seine and its surrounding environment.