Barbara J. Murak

Barbara Murak is a mixed media fiber artist based in Getzville, NY. Born into a family of artists, she earned a BA in art/design from SUNY Empire State College (Buffalo, NY) in 2000 and an MS in creative art therapy from Nazareth College (Rochester, NY) in 2008. Since 1974, Murak has exhibited visual art, collages, batiks, quilts, knitted sculptural forms and hand-embroidered pieces in juried shows throughout the world. Her work may also be found in private and public collections internationally.

In an artist’s statement, Murak writes about her “life-long preoccupation with the ‘stitch’ (from early childhood hand embroidery and knitting stitches to intensive machine stitching) as a sculptural element to create complex textures and forms.” She notes that “the theme of memory and fragility, found both in nature and relationships, is a reoccurring direction in my work. The cutting of fabric, textural layering, and the construction process is always challenging, as is life; and I find the long hours of stitching meditative, rhythmically soothing, and therapeutic.” [1]

In addition to her own work, Murak is an artist-in-residence at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, collaborating on quilts and other projects with patients, family, and caregivers.

For more information on Barbara Murak’s work, visit her website.

[1] Quotation and other biographical material from Barbara Murak, “Brief Biography,” http://www.barbaramurak.com/Pages/AbouttheArtist.html. (Accessed 12/11/2013)