Kara Zupancic

Kara “Zuzu” Zupancic received her BA in Studio Art and Art Education from Saint Vincent College in 2007. She continued her education at Edinboro University and earned her MA in Art Education in 2012. She maintains a professional career as an arts educator while pursuing her work as a professional artist.

As a Pittsburgh-based ceramic sculpture artist, Zuzu makes both smaller, functional art (like mugs with hand-sculpted embellishment) as well as large sculptures. Her one-of-a-kind sculptures are inspired by animals, women, and narratives from her lived experiences. To further deepen her skills, Zuzu attends workshops held by a variety of independent studio artists. She also traveled to Bali, Indonesia to complete a workshop with artist Allesandro Gallo. Most recently, Kara completed an artist residency at the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum.  She connects with other sculptors through her membership in the Pittsburgh Society of Sculptors, Pittsburgh Center for Arts and Media, and Associated Artists of Pittsburgh.

Especially an animal lover, the creatures Zuzu chooses to sculpt are often those that cross her path and leave her imprinted with a feeling evoked by that animal. Intentionally chosen, Zuzu relies on the calming energy of animals to tell humanistic and personal stories. Her sculptures draw you in, asking you to look beyond an initial impression for interpretation. Animals are a non-threatening way to engage an audience in an experience of allowing for multiple perspectives and self-reflection.

Photo by Julie Kahlbaugh