Maria Kastan was born in Brooklyn, New York.  One of ten children, she would  draw quietly for hours.  On invitation, a young artist Dan Finaldi, a then student of Lennart Anderson, came to paint her siblings portraits. Watching the process of painting, and then artist Dan Finaldi kindly leaving a painting box (that she still owns) behind for the children to use, were catalysts to a life long pull to make art.

 

She then went on to study with the artist painters Lennart Anderson and William T. Williams, drawing with Jan Carlisle and Paul Gianfagna, color theory with  David Hornung, while receiving her MFA at Brooklyn College, NY & teaching as a graduate student.  Her world opened up to further ideas when she studied with Stanley Lewis, Deborah Kahn and others at the Chautauqua Artist Residency.  

 

Maria Kastan builds oil paintings, sculpture and drawings that are held between two worlds—the figurative and the conceptual.  Her work consistently reveals the female form in a quiet flux exploring themes of freedom and containment, or falling and searching. 

 

Maria Kastan has shown at the Arad Biennale, Romania, Tuscon Desert Art Museum, The Seligmann Art Center, The WAH Center and in many international galleries.  She has permanent work in public collections such as the MIDAC Contemporary Art Museum, Italy, Brooklyn College CUNY Library, The Brooklyn Art Library, with a mural at Lincoln Hospital, Bronx, NY. Her work is collected by private companies and individuals globally.

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Most recently, you can find her work at auction.  Please refer to ARTNET.

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Also a singer, songwriter, storyteller; click here for music

www.rheekastan.com