Emily (Em) Koch is a painter and mixed-media artist who holds a B.A. in Psychology & Visual Studies from Harvard University and an M.F.A. in Art Practice from the School of Visual Arts. Influenced by surrealism, semiotics, and ecological frameworks, Koch’s practice fluctuates between intuition and intent.
For Koch, the process begins with a chance encounter that is then collected and recontextualized in the studio; imagery and everyday oddities like cracked concrete, seed pods, public statues, and decorative ironwork then start to inform the work. Using both canvas and repurposed surfaces, her compositions allow space for the materiality to hold its form. The resulting works function as perceptual landscapes that invite slow looking, questioning orientation within fragmented space.
Emily Koch lives and works in New Orleans, LA. Group exhibitions have been hosted by The Bitforms Gallery (NYC, New York), Trolley Barn Gallery (Poughkeepsie, New York), The Buckham Gallery (Flint, Michigan), The Pirate Contemporary Art Gallery (Denver, CO) among others. Koch’s had solo exhibitions at the Pleiades Gallery in Chelsea, NYC and Burnt Canoe in New Orleans, LA.
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Select Exhibitions
2026
MFA Thesis Show // group exhibition // Art Cake // Brooklyn, NY
The Constellation Appeared in Fragments // solo exhibition // Burnt Canoe // New Orleans, LA
2025
Third Annual Group Miniature Show // group exhibition // Nola Nacular // New Orleans, LA
What Holds, What Breaks // group exhibition // SVA Flatiron Gallery // New York, NY
Invoke and Imbibe // group exhibition // Women’s Work Gallery // Poughkeepsie, NY
Eightfold // group exhibition // Pirate Contemporary Art Gallery // Denver, CO
Hope // nationally juried exhibition & publication // Gallerium // Virtual
2024
Earth’s Reflection // nationally juried exhibition // Trolley Barn Gallery // Poughkeepsie, NY
Open Studio // School of Visual Arts // New York, NY
2023
To Be Made Whole // solo exhibition // Pleiades Gallery // New York, NY
Is It Me? // nationally juried exhibition // Trolley Barn Gallery // Poughkeepsie, NY
Hello Tomorrow // nationally juried exhibition // HMVC Gallery // New York, NY
2022
Maverick Expo #13 // group exhibition // SFA/TODA Productions & The Bitforms Gallery // New York, NY
Emotions // virtual group exhibition // Gallerium // Biafarin Exhibition & Publication
El Quiosco // group exhibition // The Ketchup Gallery // Brooklyn, NY
Woman United Art Prize 2022 // shortlisted for the international juried award // Woman United Art Movement
Art Basel Miami: The Maverick Expo #14 // group exhibition // Freehand Hotel // Miami, FL
2021
Disrupted Realism // national juried exhibition // Buckham Gallery // Flint, MI
Faces & Figures // national juried exhibition // Flagler County Art League // Palm Coast, FL
Independent Feature // showcased selected work // Brad Smith Art Gallery // Sante Fe, NM
2020
Protest & Protect // national juried online exhibition // Feminist Art Museum
2019
Turn On, Tune In & Drop Out // group exhibition // Harvard Student Art Collective
Womanhouse, Revisited // group exhibition // Harvard Student Art Collective
