Please join me at the opening reception of "The Diver" - at the Great Park Gallery on Sunday January 25th, from 1-3pm.
Kristina Rose Baker: The Diver presents new large-scale paintings and drawings by California-based artist Kristina Rose Baker. Drawing on over 2,500 years of art historical representations of diving, Baker re-imagines the figure in moments of suspension - between water, earth, and sky. With her distinct use of oil paint and charcoal, she captures fleeting moments between motion and stillness, presence and absence. Blending personal experiences of transformation and the ephemeral, Kristina Rose Baker: The Diver offers a visually poetic reflection on humanity's enduring relationship with water and the natural world.
Curated by Adam Sabolick
Great Park Gallery
800 Great Park Blvd., Irvine, CA
Opening Reception: January 25th, 1-3pm
Exhibition runs until April 12, 2026
Dialogues on the Knoll - West Hollywood
I’m pleased to share that my paintings Altadena Crest Trail, Sam Merrill Trail, and Untitled are currently featured in Dialogues on the Knoll in West Hollywood.
Dialogues on the Knoll gathers a circle of artists whose practices seek grounding amid a world in motion. Sculpture, sound, light, painting, and functional art converge to explore the delicate balance between rupture and repair, chaos and contemplation. Clay, bronze, stone, pigment, and frequency each become vessels for transformation—holding emotional, ecological, and spiritual memory in their form. Across the exhibition, we encounter works that surface the rawness of being human, alongside gestures toward healing, ritual, and inner stillness. Some pieces mirror the turbulence of the collective moment; others offer refuge, sanctuary, or breath. Together, they create a living dialogue—an invitation to pause, listen, and inhabit the space between intensity and quiet. On this West Hollywood knoll, the salon becomes both lookout and landing place, where uncertainty and beauty can coexist, and where stillness is not the absence of noise, but the presence of awareness.
COLLECTIVE ARTISTS: Mark Acetelli, Charles Arnoldi, Kristina Rose Baker, Brian Chaaban, Mads Christensen, Christina Craemer, Shane Guffogg, Steve Hash, Alexandria Hilfiger, Caroline P.M. Jones, David Paul Kay, Brandon Lomax, Leo Marmol, Mohamed Ouedraogo, Theo Pinto, Rotem Reshef, Cybele Rowe, Roxie Sarhangi, & Todd Williamson
Press: Design News Now - Art, Architecture, and Design Converge in West Hollywood
November 11, 2025 - January 15, 2026
918 West Knoll Drive, West Hollywood, CA
Curated by Kipton Cronkite | Salon Partner, Todd Williamson
Private walkthroughs are available by appointment. Email assistant@kipton.com | Text: 917-797-2689
Stone Soup at Soka University
I’m grateful that two new paintings will be included in the group show Stone Soup at Soka University, opening on September 18th and running through January 22, 2026, co-curated by Frances DePhillips and Shayla Rose-Brown.
Stone Soup: A Group Exhibition at Soka University
Founders Art Gallery at Soka University of America presents Stone Soup, a group exhibition featuring Southern California artists working in 2D and 3D media. The exhibition focuses on intergenerational connection, community, and the role of visual storytelling in bridging perspectives across time and experience.
Curated by Frances DePhillips and Shayla Rose-Brown, recent graduates of Soka University, the exhibition draws inspiration from the Stone Soup folktale—a story of individuals contributing to a shared creation. In this context, each artist’s work represents a unique “ingredient” that, together, forms a collective exploration of human connection.
Stone Soup highlights the ways art can spark dialogue between generations, offering visitors an opportunity to reflect on what we share across age, culture, and lived experience.
Contributors: K. Baker, M. Baker, Donaldson, Heftersmith, Hill, Ingold, Jaffe, Lewis, Marsh, Meckel-Sam, Minaya, Moe, Nguyen, Stoner, Weber, White
A Rare and Notable Mercy, 2025, Oil on canvas board, 11 x 14 in
Love is for Vanishing Into The Sky, 2025, Oil on panel, 12 1/8 x 17 3/4 in
Looking Back: A Retrospective of The Bascom's Artist-in-Residence Program
My painting The Sun Releases Saturn From It’s Orbit (Takotsubo), 2023 was included in the recent exhibition “Looking Back: A Retrospective of The Bascom’s Artist-in-Residence Program”. The exhibition ran from May 24 - August 2 in The Bascom’s Thompson Gallery. Installation images below. I’m very grateful to have been included!
Artem Studio Installation Photo
Artem Studio held their inaugural event yesterday morning, and my painting Untitled is currently showcased in the space. I’m very pleased to share an installation photo. If you’re in the West Hollywood area, make an appointment to stop by.
Artem Studio
626-1 N La Cienega Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90069
New Design Showroom in West Hollywood
I’m excited to be partnering with ArtStager and Artem Studio to present my painting Untitled (2017-2022) during Legends 2025 in the La Cienega Design Quarter. Artem Studio has two events on the calendar for Design.LA, both of which are listed at the top of the day of events for 05/06 and 05/06 - "Wake Up with Artem" and "Day Two, Lets Go!" see the following link for reference: ARTEM Events Design.
Artem Studio blends exceptional craftsmanship and artistry with visionary aesthetics. Their gallery is dedicated to presenting the finest contemporary furnishings. Artem collaborates with distinguished artists and designers to offer a curated selection of timeless designs.
On Melrose and La Cienega.
Instagram: @artem_____studio
Website: artem.studio
Untitled, 2017-2022, Oil on canvas, 36 x 30 in., Framed
The Bascom's 40th Anniversary Exhibition
I’m delighted to share that my painting, The Sun Releases Saturn From Its Orbit (Takotsubo) (2023), will be exhibited at The Bascom: A Center for the Visual Arts in Highlands, North Carolina. The exhibition features work from past Artists-in-Residence, and will be held in the Thompson Gallery from May 24 – August 2, 2025.
The Sun Releases Saturn From Its Orbit (Takotsubo), 2023, Oil on canvas, 40 x 34 in.
Gathering Light at Ashton Gallery, San Diego, CA
I’m excited to announce that my painting “The Diver IV” (2024) is currently on display in Gathering Light at Ashton Gallery in San Diego. Details below:
OMA's Artist Alliance is thrilled to present 53 artworks in their sixth annual exhibition at Ashton Gallery @ Art on 30th in North Park San Diego. Selected by juror Kate Ashton, many of the artworks are loosely themed to the title, Gathering Light, creating a show that is luminous, bright, hopeful, reflective both literally and in concept, and reviving in spirit.
On display at Ashton Gallery @ Art on 30th
January 11 - February 5, 2025
4434 30th Street, San Diego CA 92116.
(619) 894-9009
Monday-Saturday 11:00am-4:00pm; closed Sundays
The Diver IV, 2024, Oil on canvas, 60 x 48 in.
Vive El Arte at She/They Gallery
I’m excited to announce that my painting Open Letter/Dimension of Justice (2020) will be displayed at She/They Gallery in Santa Ana, CA for their “Vive El Arte” exhibition.
Open Letter/Dimension of Justice is inspired by Artemisia Gentileschi’s Judith Slaying Holofernes (c. 1620), one of the most dramatic paintings of the Baroque period. Gentileschi’s painting depicts the biblical story of Judith, who saves her people by beheading the Assyrian general Holofernes. What stands out in Gentileschi’s version is the unflinching physicality and realism—Judith and her maid Abra are shown mid-act, with Judith gripping Holofernes’s hair as blood sprays from his neck. Gentileschi’s portrayal is often seen as reflecting her own life experiences, including her survival of sexual assault and the public trial where she testified against her attacker. My painting draws on these themes of justice, strength, and personal liberation, offering a contemporary take on the complexity of power and what it means to confront injustice today.
The exhibition opens with the Santa Ana Art Walk on November 2nd, from 6:00-9:00pm. Please stop by if you are in Orange County!
Open Letter/Dimension of Justice, 2020, Oil on Arches oil paper, 30 x 22 in.
More Disruption: Representational Art in Flux Recap
I am extremely grateful to have been included in More Disruption: Representational Art in Flux at the Oceanside Museum of Art. The show wrapped up several weeks ago, and I wanted to share some exhibition and reception photos. Very special thanks to John Seed, Aleah Chapin, and Timothy Robert Smith for jurying the exhibition and including my work.
All Flourishing Is Mutual Recap
My artist talk and herbal mandala painting workshop in support of my exhibition All Flourishing Is Mutual at DaVero Farms and Winery were great successes. I only wish I had a recording of the artist talk! I touched upon why women in agriculture are such an inspiration to me, briefly shared my experience working on farms and how that translated into my paintings, and shared anecdotes about the specific women featured in my paintings. I broke down the painterly processes and innovative techniques utilized in my figurative paintings, disclosed some of the thoughts that go into constructing a composition, and discussed the translation of tactile sensation into paint.
For my herbal mandala painting workshop, I partnered with Michael Presley, the soil-keeper at DaVero, to tour the biodynamic garden. Participants encountered and picked flowers, shrubs, vines, and herbs that resonated with them, which we then brought back into the studio. I led participants through the process of creating a mandala, and gave some tips about flowing with watercolor and capturing the essence of the plants. I am super pleased with some truly beautiful student results!
My exhibition statement for All Flourishing is Mutual is shared below:
Kristina Rose Baker is an artist based in Orange County, California. Her passion for sustainable and regenerative living inspired a series of artworks that celebrates female farmers. This series, born from her desire to spotlight the vital role of women in agriculture and the importance of understanding our food sources, features portraits and paintings of women sowing, tending, watering, harvesting, and gathering.
Baker's figurative paintings capture moments of action, concentration, and devotion. Each piece was conceptualized from her extensive reference material, which includes sketches and photographs from her time working on and visiting farms. Her initial sketches are lively gestures, often partially visible in the final canvas, infusing the artwork with energy and dynamism. Baker allows herself significant creative freedom within the realm of representation, embracing painterly moments and incorporating abstraction. Her work continually explores the expansive capabilities of oil paint, experimenting with new mark-making and application techniques to expand her artistic vocabulary.
In this series, Baker also focused on the texture and movement of flesh, utilizing the impasto quality of oil paint to convey the toughness, vitality, wear, and flexibility of skin. Through her paint application and texture, she seeks to evoke the spirit and character of her subjects.
Baker's research for this series involved visiting and working on various farms, primarily in Southern California, though she also worked from reference images for those located farther away. During her visits, she created sketches and took photographs to serve as the basis for her paintings. The women she paints are those who inspire her and who play an urgent and crucial role in society. Her paintings not only highlight their contributions but also underscore the broader significance of sustainable agriculture and the women at its forefront.
I am extremely grateful to Farm Studio Sonoma for inviting me to participate in the exhibition and collaborative events!
All Flourishing Is Mutual
My exhibition All Flourishing Is Mutual debuts in two weeks at DeVero Farms & Winery in Sonoma, CA. The exhibition is in collaboration with The Farm Studio- a nonprofit based in Sonoma county that nurtures collaboration with local ecologies through farming and art.
The exhibition reception is on Sunday, July 7th between 1:30 - 4pm. I’ll be exhibiting 4 large paintings and a variety of smaller paintings and prints from my Women in Agriculture and Herbal Mandala series. I hope to see you at the reception if you are in the Sonoma area!
Additionally, I’ll be giving an artist talk on Tuesday, July 9th between 5:30 - 7:00pm, and hosting an Herbal Mandala workshop on Wednesday, July 10th from 5:30 - 7:00pm. All events are ticketed, and tickets can be purchased online at the DaVero website. The exhibition runs through the end of August, 2024.
More Disruption: Representational Art in Flux at the Oceanside Museum of Art
I’m ecstatic to announce my participation in “More Disruption: Representational Art in Flux”, juried by John Seed, Aleah Chapin, and Timothy Robert Smith at the Oceanside Museum of Art. The exhibition explores representational art that has been reshaped and “disrupted”—including by abstraction, web-based imagery, and socio-politcal concerns—in response to contemporary life and its challenges.
The opening reception is on Saturday, June 8th between 5-7pm. The exhibition runs until September 15th.
Read more about the exhibition on the Oceanside Museum of Art website.
The Diver, 2024, charcoal, conté, and white chalk on joined paper, 41 1/4 x 33 1/2 in.
ALIS Design+ Conference and Trade Fair, January 24 - 25 2024
I'm excited to announce that I have four paintings from my Absence and Presence series at the ALIS Design+ Conference and Trade Fair, January 24 - 25 in Los Angeles. I am exhibiting my work with DAC Art Consulting alongside works by Christina Kwan. I’m excited to share some photos of the installation below.
ALIS Design+ is a conference and trade fair where distinguished thought leaders from hotel ownership, investment, development, design, procurement, construction, architecture, and consultancy come together for a discussion on the industry’s future. Together, they engage in forward-looking conversations, diving into best practices and pioneering solutions that elevate creativity and ingenuity.
(Clockwise, beginning top left) Altadena Crest Trail, 2023; Sam Merrill Trail, 2023; Desert Trail, 2019; Diarmuid’s Farm, 2019
Transforming Loss at She/They Gallery
Grateful to have had two paintings included in the group show Transforming Loss curated by Kate Ryan & Gabrielle b. mcLean. The opening reception was Saturday, November 4th 2023 at She/They Gallery in Santa Ana.
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𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘓𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵-𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘹𝘩𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴, 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘧, 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘺 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘭𝘺 𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘴𝘺𝘮𝘣𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘤 𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘶𝘴𝘦. 𝘋𝘳𝘢𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘣𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘵𝘴. 𝘌𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪-𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥, 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘤𝘩, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘴, 𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘴. 𝘈𝘴 𝘸𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨.
The Sun Releases Saturn From Its Orbit (Takotsubo), 2023 (left) and Better Underwater?, 2019 (right)
Post-Reception- Thank you!
Thank you so much to everyone who came out to the opening reception of my solo show “Simulated Memory” at She/They Gallery! It was an awesome opening, and we had a really great turn out- it was so much fun to have the opening on the same night as the Santa Ana Art Walk. I’m very appreciative for all the friends and new faces that turned up at the gallery to see my work. Much thanks to the friends who came out for my private walk-through. The show is up by appointment until September 27th. Please contact Renée Ortiz of She/They Gallery to make an appointment.
She/They Gallery of Contemporary Womyn’s Art
@she.they.gallery_
ReneeOrtizStudios@gmail.com
Simulated Memory at She/They Gallery for Contemporary Womyn's Art
I’m excited to announce the opening of my solo exhibition “Simulated Memory” with She/They Gallery of Contemporary Womyn’s Art in Santa Ana, CA. I will be exhibiting new 21 oil and watercolor paintings from the past year.
The opening reception is on September 3rd, 2022 from 5pm - 9pm, and the gallery is located on the second floor of the Santora Arts Building, within the Artist Village. If you are in the Orange County/SoCal area, I would love to see you there! The show will run from September 1 - 26, 2022.
"Precipice" at Santa Ana College
My body of work “Precipice” has been featured by the Santa Ana Collage Art Department for the month of October. Take a look at my latest body of work and statement on their website!
https://www.santaanacollegeartdepartment.org/kristinarosebaker
No Big Heads
Excited to announce my painting “Sinking In” was selected to be a part of “No Big Heads”, a Group Exhibition at Hugh McPeck Gallery. The exhibition is up until October 24th.
“Sinking In”, Oil on panel, 10” x 10”
New Work for Indian Wells
I’ve been busy preparing for the Indian Wells Arts Festival, creating lots of new work to display for next month. I love participating in art fairs because it inspires me to paint and make new things since I know I have a venue to display my paintings in, and there is an upcoming deadline. The pressure is on! It makes me feel a bit like I’m back in art school painting like crazy in preparation for a critique, and I thrive in that kind of environment. I’ll slowly be posting new paintings online and on Instagram as the festival approaches. Excited that I’ve started to make some new desert inspired landscapes! Very new for me, and a departure from my infatuation with the color green.
A statement about the recent works:
My current practice is a paradox between absence and presence.
Using watercolor or oil paint on paper, I distill a landscape down to its most essential elements and abstracted forms. The negative shapes take on a prominent role in the paintings, often creating silhouettes of human figures enmeshed in the surrounding landscape. Painterly gestures and mark-making techniques are juxtaposed with highly-rendered flora.
The process is exclusively additive, as each mark on the stark white surface cannot be erased or undone. The paintings allude to an influence of Chinese landscape painting, especially in their rhythms and intentional use of blank space, or “nothingness”. They convey “inner landscapes of the mind” more so than accurate, external ones- they are reflections of sanctuary and inner spirit. The paintings seek to highlight a sense of permanence within nature and the spiritual world, contrasted with the temporal quality of human existence.
