Troy, NY-based artist Mariah Kitner is renowned for her innovative exploration across ceramics, painting, and digital media. Blending wit, whimsy, and mysticism, her work engages contemporary themes in fresh and imaginative ways. With a BFA in Painting and a minor in Art History from Pace University ('15), Kitner spent nearly a decade in New York City managing artists’ studios, consulting at Pop International Galleries, and curating high-profile exhibitions, including SPRING/BREAK Art Fair in 2017.

Her 2014 blog, If Paintings Could Text, gained widespread acclaim, earning features in HuffPost, Bustle, and NYLON, as well as recognition as one of Tumblr’s “Top Trending Blogs of 2014” and a Shorty Award nomination.

Since shifting to ceramics in 2020 and establishing Context Clay, Kitner has embraced a wide range of techniques and processes, transforming functional objects into surreal, dreamlike forms. Her residencies at the Skopelos Foundation for the Arts (’23) and Tech Valley Center of Gravity (’24) have shaped her evolving practice, from reinterpreting ancient Greek amphorae through a contemporary lens to integrating digital fabrication tools such as 3D printing into ceramic production.

Kitner is also the owner and co-founder of Context Collective, a gallery and creative space in Troy, NY, dedicated to empowering artists. Through exhibitions, community workshops, and curated private art experiences, she fosters opportunities for artists and brings people together through shared creativity.

Her multidisciplinary practice reflects a commitment to challenging conventions, empowering artistic expression, and pushing the boundaries of material and meaning.