BIO

Amie Kana Cunat (b. Mchenry, IL) is a Japanese American artist, whose inquiries in painting are prompted by discourse on comedy, the spiritual and horror. Influenced by the legacy of pop abstraction and surrealist biomorphism, her abstractions are variations of geometric, decorative, and organic elements that are chromatically charged and optically insistent.
 

Cunat earned an MFA from Cornell University, Post-Baccalaureate in Painting and Drawing from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and a BA in Visual Arts and Art History from Fordham University. She has exhibited at Vitra Design Museum (Germany), Dinner Gallery (NY), Peep Projects (PA), Ochi Gallery (ID), DIMIN (NY), Eric Firestone Gallery (NY), Shaker Museum | Mount Lebanon, Sunroom Project Space at Wave Hill (NY), and DC Moore Gallery (NY) among others. She was the recipient of a 2021 NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship in Interdisciplinary Work and a 2019 Regional Economic Development Council Grant by NYSCA in collaboration with Shaker Museum | Mount Lebanon. Her work has been reviewed and featured by The New York Times, Metal Magazine, ARTnews, Artsy, Artnet News, Title Magazine, Vogue Italia, ArtMaze Mag, and Two Coats of Paint. She teaches at Fordham University and The Cooper Union. Cunat lives and works in Brooklyn, NY and was a 2023 resident at Yaddo. 

2010-2012     MFA, College of Architecture, Art and Planning, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

2009-2010     Post-Baccalaureate, Painting and Drawing, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, IL

2004-2008     BA Visual Arts and Art History, Fordham University, New York, NY

2024    

Peep Projects, Philadelphia, PA, West McHenry

2022    

Lightwell Gallery, The University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, Plot, Vein, Crescent, Eye

2021    

Dinner Gallery, New York, NY, Petal Signals 

Peep Projects, Philadelphia, PA, Checkerbloom

2019    

Shaker Museum | Mount Lebanon, New Lebanon, NY, Granary

2018    

Victori + Mo, Brooklyn, NY, Meetinghouse

2017    

Knockdown Center, Queens, NY, The Clock is Taking a Nap.

This Friday or Next Friday, Brooklyn, NY, Curtains

2016   

Sunroom Project Space, Wave Hill, Bronx, NY, Hideout

Outside, North Adams, MA, Moon Nets, Alphabet Letters 

Foley Gallery Window Installation, New York, NY, Clue, Cue

2014   

Court Tree Collective, Brooklyn, NY, Parenthetical Bounce

The Cooper Union, New York, NY, Octopi Kōen

AIRY Gallery, Kofu City, Japan, Marks

2012   

Milstein Gallery, Ithaca, NY, Cadmium Panoply

2025

Vitra Design Museum, Weil am Rhein, Germany, The Shakers: A World in the Making, Curated by Mea Hoffman, Irina Selzer, Shoshana Resnikoff, Chyna Bounds, Hallie Ringle, Zoe Ryan

Pond Gallery, Fayetteville, AR, Flower Shop

Delaware River Waterfront, Philadelphia, PA, Flag Exhibition: States of Change  

2024   

Dinner Gallery, New York, NY, Slow Looking

Hexum Gallery, Montpelier, VT, Dewdrops in the Garden

OCHI Gallery, Sun Valley, ID, Spring Flowers

2023    

DIMIN, New York, NY, Surface Level

Ildiko Butler Gallery, Fordham University, New York, NY, Just a House 

Hungry Reaper Farm, Morris, CT, Bad Lighting, Organized by Jillian Verzino

Hexum Gallery, Montpelier, VT, Wild Things

2022

Eric Firestone Gallery, New York, NY, Psychedelic Landscape, Curated by Jennifer Samet and Julie Reiter

Peep Porjects, Philadelphia, PA, Not Always What They Seem; Curated by Libby Rosa

TOA Presents, Minneapolis, MN, Horror Vacui, Curated by Amir Fallah and Mark Schoening

2021    

Providence College Galleries, Providence, RI, Art History Selects

Ildiko Butler Gallery, Fordham University, Adjunct Faculty Spotlight, Organized by Stephan Apicella-Hitchcock

Studio Archive Project, Digital Exhibition, Use Your Words, Curated by JJ Manford

Soil Gallery, Seattle, WA, Mineral Dive

2020

The Royal Society of American Art, Brooklyn, NY, Such fleas, ere they approach the eye, Curated by Chris Lucius

2019

Underdonk, Brooklyn, NY, Fur Cup, Curated by Elisa Soliven

DC Moore Gallery, New York, NY, The Unusual Suspects, Curated by Richard Kalina

The Ekru Project, Brooklyn, NY, The Beautiful Makers, Curated by Kevin Umana

Albany International Airport Gallery, Albany, NY, Everyday Perfection, Curated by Kathy Greenwood

Crush Curatorial, New York, NY, Surreality

2018

Geary Contemporary, New York, NY, Softer but Louder, Curated by Poppy Delta Dawn

ArtYard, Frenchtown, NJ, The Unlikely Whole, Curated by Lucinda Warchol

Arts + Leisure, New York, NY, Field Days: Zach Seeger and Amie Cunat

Freight + Volume, New York, NY, Summer of Love

The Center for Contemporary Art, Bedminster, NJ, Keepers of the Chroma

2017    

Selena Gallery, Brooklyn, NY, Tangled Bliss and Beautiful Soup, Curated by Olivia Swider

Lipani Gallery, Fordham University, New York, NY, Flew the Coop: Amie Cunat + Vincent Stracquadanio

Wave Hill, Bronx, NY, Call and Response, Curated by Gabriel de Guzman

MW Projects, New York, NY, Chaos/Control, Curated by Melinda Wang

Sine Gallery at tête, Berlin, Germany, Sine Gallery: Berlin, Curated by Patricia Brace and Katie Hector

No Place Gallery, Columbus, OH, Western Decoy, Curated by James McDevitt-Stredney

Mountain, Brooklyn, NY, Along a River of Sapphire Pools

Spring/Break Art Show, New York, NY, C+C: Kat Chamberlin and Amie Cunat, Curated by Nicholas Cueva

2016    

Sine Gallery, Newark, NY, Surreal Surrender, Curated by Patricia Brace and Katie Hector

215 Orleans, Beaumont, TX, Compilation 1: Introduction, Curated by Teresa Baker

Guttenberg Arts, Guttenberg, NJ, Made Here

 Mountain, Brooklyn, NY, Blood and Sand, Curated by Michael Fleming

Ventana 244, Brooklyn, NY, Oysters with Lemon, Curated by Andrew Huston and Mike Zahn

2014    

Court Tree Collective, Brooklyn, NY, Year End Review

2012    

White Box Gallery, New York, NY, Suggestions Toward Future Conversations

Experimental Gallery, Ithaca, NY, Midnight Party

2011    

Tjaden and Experimental Galleries, Ithaca, NY, YEAH 

Dumbo Arts Center, Brooklyn, NY, Meditations in an Emergency, Curated by Christopher Lew

Project space at Winkelman Gallery, New York, NY, Signs on the Road

2010    

Zrobili Gallery, Chicago, IL, New Works by Samantha Bittman and Amie Cunat

Olive Tjaden Gallery, Ithaca, NY, Is This Making Sense?

The Center Gallery at Fordham University, New York, NY, Local Color: Four Fordham Alumnae, Curated by 

James Vanderberg

Sullivan Galleries, Chicago, IL, SAIC MFA Thesis Exhibition

2009   

The Dirty Dirty, Brooklyn, NY, Group Exhibition, Organized by Martha Clippinger

2024    

Frederieke Saunders Taylor Studio Project Grant, New York, NY, 2024

2023    

Yaddo, Saratoga Springs, NY, 2023

2022    

IFPDA Blackburn Scholarship, Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop, New York, NY

2021     

NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship in Interdisciplinary Work, Kings, NY 

2019   

Shaker Museum | Mount Lebanon Artist Residency, New Lebanon, NY 

NYSCA & Regional Economic Development Council Grant, with Shaker Museum | Mount Lebanon, Old Chatham, NY

2017    

Studios at MASS MoCA Artist Residency, North Adams, MA

Facebook Commission, FB AIR Program, New York, NY

2016

Space and Time Artist Residency & Fellowship, Guttenberg Arts, Guttenberg, NJ

Sunroom Project Space Fellowship, Wave Hill, Bronx, NY

2015    

Groundwork II Residency, Vernon Township, NJ

2014

Summer Outreach Artist-Teacher Residency, The Cooper Union, New York, NY

AIRY Yamanashi Residency, Kofu, Japan

2012   

The Charles Baskerville Painting Award, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

2011 

Parsons Paris Artist Residency, Paris, France 

Ladd, Kelly Joy. Artists on Couches—Art Project and Artist Community (@artistsoncouches), “Why does art matter?”, 

November 12, 2024

Lee, Sophie. Cultured Magazine, “Don’t Miss These Rising Artists at the American Folk Art Museum’s Latest Auction”, March 7, 2024

Laster, Paul. Galerie, “9 Emerging Artists to Discover at NADA Miami 2021”, November 30, 2021

Stanner, Trevor. Metal Magazine, "Biotic Barbed Impressions", October 7, 2021

Ghassemitari, Shawn. Hypebeast, "Amie Cunat’s Floral Motifs Carry Dark Undertones in Her New Body of Work", August 24, 2021

Levenson, Joey. It's Nice That, "Artist Amie Cunat on “pulling a viewer in like a homing beacon” in her new solo exhibition", August 21, 2021

Alfred, Brian. Sound & Vision, Episode 278, August 12, 2021

Bishara, Hakim. Hyperallergic, "92 New York Artists Receive $616,000 in Grants", July 13, 2021

Arao, Paolo. The Coastal Post, "Amie Cunat Visited by Paolo Arao", April 21, 2021

Stong, Todd. Title Magazine, "Corpus Cute and Creeping: Amie Cunat at Peep Projects", February 11, 2021

Cascone, Sarah. Artnet News, “My Practices Looks Very Different Today: 15 Artist-Mothers on Balancing Work and Family After a Year Like No Other”, January 4, 2021

ArtMaze Mag, Curated Selection by Scott Ogden, Shrine Gallery, Winter Issue 16, 2020

Barcio, Phillip. IdeelArt, “Richard Kalina Curates an Abstract Art Show at DC Moore Gallery”, July 3, 2019

Whitten, Patti. Cornell Chronicle, “Art faculty, alumni reunite in Shaker Museum exhibition”, June 11, 2019

Urban, Jason. Art in Print Journal, New Editions Issue, "New Editions A-Z: Amie Cunat", March - April, 209, pp.8-9

Casadio, Di Mariuccia. Vogue Italia, “Una questione di sfumature”, December 14, 2018 

Corkery, Elizabeth. Print Club Ltd. Journal, "Touring the Shaker Museum with Artist Amie Cunat”, October 11, 2018 Boone-McCreesh, Amy. Inertia Studio Visits, "Exhibition visit with Amie Cunat at Victori + Mo gallery in Brooklyn, New York", May 25, 2018

Selvin, Claire. ARTnews, "Amie Cunat Imbues Shaker Craftsmanship with Political Import at Victori + Mo", May 21, 2018

Steinhauer, Jillian. The New York Times, "What to See in New York Art Galleries This Week", May 10, 2018

Cohen, Alina. Artsy, "How the Shakers Influenced Generations of Artists and Designers", May 3, 2018

Sculpture56, "Sculpture 56: The Interviews, Amie Cunat", May 3, 2018

Gross, Pedro, Rodney, Sutton, and Almino. Hyperallergic "Your Concise New York Art Guide for Spring 2018", February 28, 2018

Moustakas, Tiffany. Riverdale Press, "‘Call & Response’ celebrates 10 years of emerging Wave Hill artists", October 6, 2017

Dawn Graves, Cassidy. Bedford+Bowery,"Chelsea Manning’s DNA, Candy-Colored Churches, and More Art This Week", July 31, 2017

Shen, Danni. “Interview: Amie Cunat at Wave Hill”, Two Coats of Paint, August 2016

Laster, Paul. Whitehot Magazine, “Nature Pops! at Wave Hill”, August 2016

Kalina, Richard. “A Leap (Or Was it a Push?) into the Void”, MFA 2012 Exhibition Catalog: Suggestions Toward Future Conversations, May 2012

Ruble, Casey. MFA 2011 Exhibition Catalog: Meditations in an Emergency, May 2011

Artist Lecture, University of Oklahoma, School of Art, Norman, OK, February 2022 

Artist Talk, Fordham Art History Society, Fordham University, New York, NY, October 2020

Abstract Painting: Wrong Questions, Right Answers?, Panel Discussion with Paolo Arao, Amie Cunat, Carrie Moyer, and Odili Donald Odita, Moderated by Richard Kalina, DC Moore Gallery, New York, NY, June 2019

Artist Talk and Workshop, New Lebanon Library, New Lebanon, NY, June 2019

Artist Lecture and Workshop, Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, PA, February 2019

Artist Conversation with Anne Wu about her installation Detour, New York Public Library, New York, NY, December 2016

Amie Cunat: W for Wave, Visiting Artist Lecture, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, October 2015

Assistant Clinical Professor, Fordham University, New York, NY, 2022-Present

Adjunct Instructor (Foundation: Color), School of Art, The Cooper Union, New York, NY 2024-Present

Visiting Artist, School of Art, The Cooper Union, New York, NY, 2021-2023

Visiting Critic, Graduate School of Art & Design, SUNY Purchase, Purchase, NY, October 2022

Visiting Assistant Professor, Visual Arts Department, Fordham University, New York, NY, 2019-2022

Visiting Artist, Wassaic Project, Wassaic, NY, February 2022

Guest Lecturer and Critic, NYC Crit Club, March 2022

Guest Visitors Program, Residency Unlimited, Brooklyn, NY, 2019

Adjunct Professor, Painting & Drawing, Visual Arts Department, Fordham University, New York, NY, 2013-2019