Sara Caruso is a figurative artist based in Brooklyn, NY.  Raised in Miami FL, Caruso graduated with a BFA from Florida State University with a focus in painting and ceramics. 

Caruso’s work often depicts the nude male form, subjecting it to the objectification and fetishisation that the female body has endured throughout history. She believes that male figurative work is underrepresented in contemporary dialogue because it is often interpreted as taboo, offensive, or homoerotic. She aims to use traditional painting to critically examine the ways these heteronormative value judgements dictate fine art in modernity.

While she is inspired by the sculptures of Antiquity and the Renaissance, Caruso merges the classical mediums with modern culture and technology. She finds references from live models, but frequently uses strangers on the internet or even pornography as source material.  Caruso is interested in exploring the nude form outside of the sexualised or aestheticised context of much figurative work.

In her newest body of work, Caruso reflects on adapting to New York City.  This series focuses on figurative work using personal relationships as reference— the bodies are set in the self aware, soft, and intimate light of Caruso’s first rose-colored months in the city.  She is coming to terms with the eventual end of this phase and the apprehension that soon follows.