Shara Mays (b. Princeville, NC) received her BFA from George Washington University and her MFA from San Francisco Art Institute. Mays creates large-scale paintings which take the shape and form of both landscape and intuitive figuration. Her works are performances of subconscious motions and are in constant conversation with the natural world. Her art practice represents an evolution of narrative, from a focus on literal, southern landscapes, and family struggles, to chasing freedom through the act of gestural abstraction. Notable solo shows include Color Sanctuary at Marrow Gallery, San Francisco (2023); Overgrown at Mehari Sequar, Washington, DC (2023); and Everywhere at Chandran Gallery, San Francisco (2022). Select group shows include Arcadia and Elsewhere at James Cohan Gallery, New York (forthcoming); After Eden at LatchKey Gallery, New York (2023); Considering Female Abstractions at the Green Family Art Foundation, Dallas (2023); Creative Gatherings at the International African American Museum, Charleston (2023); and Bloodchild at Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco (2022). Residencies include the Vermont Studio Center, Meta Open Arts, and the Headlands Center for the Arts. Her work is included in both public and private collections, including the International African American Museum, the Green Family Art Foundation, and Art in Embassies.