Meghan Petras uses a wide range of techniques and materials, producing vibrant, tactile paintings, ceramic objects and wool rugs. Her work contains energy, movement, and a sense of play. Informed by her background as a sculptor, Petras considers the materiality and spatiality of her paintings, thinking of them as objects rather than portals. While nature is a recurring theme in her work, Petras’ visual motifs vary widely. Since 2009, she’s been working on a series of rhythmic, pattern-inspired paintings that incorporate harmonious color schemes and repetitious imagery characteristics of textile design. Over time, her compositions have evolved from loosely figural to increasingly abstract. Fluid and gestural in nature, the works appear to be improvisational—emphasized by her use of cartoonish lines and shapes—and have a kinetic sensibility.
Meghan Petras lives in Brooklyn, New York. She has exhibited in the US and abroad, including Songzhuang Jincao Art Space, Beijing; Beacon Arts, Los Angeles; Dodge Gallery, Canada Gallery, and Blackston Gallery, New York. Petras has an MFA in Sculpture from the Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI.