Mary Ann Orozco
b. 1997 ∙ CE artist since 2023
Mary Ann Orozco (b. 1997) has a deep love for the materiality of painting. Inspired by her travels, she often uses reference imagery from anime and manga, a two-dimensional art form that she transforms into dynamic paintings rich in depth and lathered in impasto.
Orozco is diligent and precise about her color choices, working closely with her teachers to match colors exactly. "There is no imagining- everything is rooted in facts," she explains. When working from stills of black and white films such as It's A Wonderful Life, she will search for additional photographs of the actors to perfectly match the color of their hair, eyes, and skin tone. She frequently gravitates towards dark palettes of greens and blacks to create moody scenes, where a piece first looks like an abstraction, before precise imagery emerges before the viewer.
Since joining Creativity Explored in 2023, Orozco has been featured at the San Francisco Art Fair and has exhibited alongside numerous Bay Area artists in Karl SF. In 2025, Orozco was highlighted in “Framing Perspectives,” a video interview series funded by the National Endowment for the Arts. Most recently, she participated in the Creativity Explored Open Invitational with a selection of paintings.
Select Exhibitions & Projects
2025
“KARL,” Levi’s Plaza, San Francisco, CA
“San Francisco Art Fair - Jewel Box,” San Francisco Art Fair, San Francisco, CA
“I Wish I Had A Window,” & Beyond Gallery, Oakland, CA
“Komorebi,” Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA