Cat Tesla — Biography & CV

Biography

Cat Tesla is a contemporary abstract painter whose luminous, layered canvases read as bold graphic statements from across a room and dissolve into rich organic detail up close. Her original abstract paintings hang in major museums, more than 300 corporate collections, and nearly 1,000 hospitals and medical centers worldwide. Born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1963 and now based in North Port, Florida, Tesla is represented in South Florida by Studio E Gallery in Palm Beach Gardens.

What sets her work apart is a rare dual fluency. Tesla is both a trained scientist and a graphic designer, and both disciplines pulse beneath every painting she makes.

From Genetics Lab to Painting Studio

Tesla's path to the studio was anything but linear. As a teenager she excelled in both art and science, earning a first-year college art scholarship — and then chose the laboratory over the easel, at least for a while.

She holds a B.S. in Biology from the University of Missouri, a Master's in Human Genetics from the University of Pittsburgh, and an Associate's in Graphic Design from Atlanta's Creative Circus. For nearly two decades she served on the faculty of Emory University's Department of Human Genetics as a genetic counselor, directing a team of more than 20 counselors and leading marketing for the Emory Genetics Laboratory. Her pioneering research in public genetics education later appeared on the cover of Genetics in Medicine, illustrated by her own paintings.

Tesla began exhibiting in 1997 while still counseling patients. By 2006 she had traded the genetics clinic for the art studio for good.

Painting Technique: Automatism, Layering, and Glaze

The science never left her. It lives in her fascination with what lies beneath the surface, literally and spiritually, and in a working method rooted in Franz Kline's concept of automatism — the practice of pouring out first and editing after.

Every Cat Tesla painting is built the same way:

• Automatic drawing. Each piece begins with an unplanned mark-making session in graphite and wax crayon.
• Translucent layering. Tesla builds successive veils of oil and acrylic over the drawing.
• Scraping back. Layers are removed to reveal what sits underneath, then remarked.
• Glossy glazing. Translucent glazes are poured across the surface for depth and light.

The result is a signature interplay of contrasts: light against shadow, bold hues against muted tones, smooth against rough, angular against curvilinear. "I'm fascinated by the interplay of strength and delicacy in ourselves," Tesla says, "and I strive to reflect this tension in my art."

Series and Subject Matter

Nature is Tesla's enduring muse. A longtime practitioner of yoga, hiking, and mindful meditation, she credits time in the natural world with allowing her to traverse more easily between the worlds of art and science.

• The Exhale Series — nature-based abstraction drawing directly on organic color and form.
• The Feeling Good Series — purely non-objective abstraction, color and gesture without reference.
• The FU Cancer Series — small-format works born from her own diagnosis.

Her craft has been sharpened through multiple residencies with artist Steven Aimone at the Atlantic Center for the Arts, plus two international residencies at Château Orquevaux in France.

Art as Healing

Tesla's art is inseparable from her belief in its power to heal, and that conviction became deeply personal in March 2022. Days before relocating from Atlanta to Florida, she was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer. She returned to Atlanta for surgery at Emory's Winship Cancer Institute and, remarkably, required no further treatment.

Through sleepless nights she processed the diagnosis the only way she knew how: writing "FU Cancer" on small canvases and painting over the words in bright, defiant color rather than darkness — using beauty to combat illness. The resulting FU Cancer Series sold out in twenty minutes and funded a $3,000 donation to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. In a striking full-circle moment, Tesla was later commissioned to create four paintings for the newly constructed Winship Cancer Institute building in midtown Atlanta, completing her journey from patient to healing artist.

Abstract Art for Healthcare and Hospitality Spaces

Today, cancer-free and painting full-time, Tesla focuses much of her practice on the healthcare and hospitality sectors, guided by research showing the measurable healing benefits of art in medical and workplace environments. Her paintings are a frequent choice for hospital corridors, patient rooms, medical office lobbies, hotels, and corporate headquarters where calm, light-filled abstraction is the goal. She accepts commissions for private collectors and for healthcare, hospitality, and corporate environments.

She is also a passionate advocate for fellow creatives. During the pandemic she co-founded The Business of Art with artist Julie Schumer, an online education platform helping artists worldwide build e-commerce, manage inventory, develop their brands, and create sustainable income streams.

"Painting is a deep dive act that happens within oneself," Tesla says, "with a goal of pulling out something beautiful for the world to connect with." Grateful, focused, and more motivated than ever, she continues to reveal what lies beneath, one luminous layer at a time.

Original Cat Tesla paintings are available through Studio E Gallery, 4600 PGA Blvd, Suite 101, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Contact the gallery to view current available work or discuss a commission.

Connect: artbycat.com · Instagram @cattesla · YouTube: Cat Tesla Fine Art

Curriculum Vitae

Personal

• Born: 1963, St. Louis, Missouri
• Residence: North Port, Florida

Education

• Associate's Degree in Graphic Design, The Creative Circus (formerly the Southeastern Center for the Arts), Atlanta, GA, 1994
• M.S. in Human Genetics / Genetic Counseling, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, 1988
• B.S. in Biology, University of Missouri–Columbia, 1986

Residencies & Additional Studies

• 2017 & 2018 — International Artist-in-Residency Award, Château Orquevaux, Champagne-Ardenne, France
• 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 — Individual Studies & Master Residencies with Steve Aimone (Artist, Writer, and author of Expressive Drawing), Atlantic Center for the Arts, New Smyrna Beach, FL
• 2013 — Studies with Nicholas Wilton, Artist & Teacher, Haramara, Mexico

Selected Exhibitions — Solo

• September 10 – October 2, 2021 — "Breathe" Exhibition, Thomas Deans Fine Art, Atlanta, GA
• December 2019 — Solo Show, Art on Centre, Fernandina Beach, FL
• April 2014 — ArtExpo NY, New York, NY
• March 2013 — Solo Show, T. Clifton Gallery, Memphis, TN
• August – October 2012 — Solo Show, Quinlan Arts Center, Gainesville, GA
• February 2008 — ATLart[08], Solo Show, Lagerquist Gallery, Atlanta, GA
• April 2006 — "Cat Tesla: New Works," Solo Show, Canyon Road Contemporary Art, Santa Fe, NM
• July 2004 — "Outside of the Box," Solo Show, Eastern Shore Art Center Gallery, Fairhope, AL

Selected Exhibitions — Two-Person & Group Shows

• April 11 – June 15, 2024 — "Take Three: New Work by Pamela Crady, Charles Shotwell & Cat Tesla," Gallery 1871 / Chicago Art Source, Chicago, IL
• February 15 – 20, 2024 — The Palm Beach Show, Palm Beach, FL (Steidel Contemporary)
• January 24 – 28, 2024 — Art Palm Beach, Palm Beach, FL (Steidel Contemporary)
• July – August 2023 — Summer Pleasures, Thomas Deans Fine Art Gallery, Atlanta, GA
• March 23 – 26, 2023 — Palm Beach Modern & Contemporary, Palm Beach, FL
• February 16 – 21, 2023 — The Palm Beach Show, Palm Beach, FL
• January 25 – 29, 2023 — Art Palm Beach, Palm Beach, FL
• September 2022 — "Living Colors: Paintings by Sherry Czekus and Cat Tesla," Thomas Deans Fine Art, Atlanta, GA
• June – August 2022 — Summer Pleasures, Thomas Deans Fine Art, Atlanta, GA
• March 2022 — Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary, Palm Beach, FL (Steidel Contemporary)
• March 4 – April 4, 2022 — "Together / Somewhere," 22 international artists, Visionary Projects
• February 2022 — The Palm Beach Show, Palm Beach, FL (Steidel Contemporary)
• January – February 2022 — "New Works for a New Year," Thomas Deans Fine Art Gallery, Atlanta, GA
• December 2021 — CONTEXT Art Miami (Steidel Contemporary)
• October 2 – November 19, 2021 — Group Exhibition
• September 2021 — Hamptons Fine Art Fair (Steidel Contemporary)
• August 2021 — Bridgehampton Market Art+Design (Steidel Contemporary)
• July 2021 — Metro Montage XXI, Marietta Cobb Museum of Art, Marietta, GA
• June 2021 — Summer Pleasures, Thomas Deans Fine Art, Atlanta, GA
• April 2021 — "Lift," Cat Tesla & Lisa Ridgers, Chicago Art Source, Chicago, IL
• January 20 – February 20, 2021 — "The Era of Change," Visionary Projects, Virtual Exhibition
• November 16 – December 16, 2020 — Lohme Art Gallery NY x Visionary Projects, "Disrupting the Stillness," Virtual Exhibition
• 2021 — Bridgette Mayer Gallery 8th Annual Benefit Exhibition, Philadelphia, PA
• 2021 — "Sugar High," Jen Tough Gallery, Virtual Exhibition
• December 2019 — Group Show, Studio E Gallery, Palm Beach Gardens, FL
• September – October 2019 — Color Show, North River Design District, Chicago, IL
• July – September 2019 — Summer Salon, Chicago Art Source, Chicago, IL
• February – April 2019 — Fresh Paint, Chicago Art Source, Chicago, IL
• December 2017 — Group Show, Studio E Gallery, Palm Beach Gardens, FL
• July – August 2017 — Summer Salon, Chicago Art Source, Chicago, IL
• March 2017 — Women's Group Show, Muse Gallery, Hilton Head, SC
• January 2017 — Alchemy Group Show, Gallery43, Roswell, GA
• December 2016 — Spectrum Miami / Art Basel, Steidel Fine Art Gallery
• July – September 2016 — Group Show, Chicago Art Source, Chicago, IL
• July – August 2015 — Abstract Art Show, Muse Gallery, Hilton Head, SC
• July – August 2015 — New Works: Summer Show, Chicago Art Source, Chicago, IL
• September 2011 — Art & Jazz Featured Artist, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Fundraiser, Atlanta, GA
• August 2011 — "The Artists of Tula," Gemena Gallery of Christ Church Presbyterian, Atlanta, GA
• May 2011 — Marietta / Cobb Museum of Art 2011 Art & Design Showhouse, Marietta, GA
• April 2011 — Art in Bloom Gala & Art Market, Johns Creek Arts Center, Johns Creek, GA
• March 2011 — Quinlan Arts Center 33rd Annual Gala & Art Auction, Gainesville, GA
• July – August 2010 — Summer Group Show, Chicago Art Source, Chicago, IL
• April – June 2010 — Spring Show, Perlow-Stevens Gallery, Columbia, MO
• September 2010 — ArtScapes Show (Invitational), Knoxville Museum of Art, Knoxville, TN
• March 2012 — Quinlan Arts Center 34th Annual Gala & Art Auction, Gainesville, GA
• June 2009 — Cat Tesla & Mary Burrows, Perry Nicole Fine Art, Memphis, TN
• January 2009 — ARTifacts Group Show, Perry Nicole Fine Art, Memphis, TN
• 2009 — Atlanta Symphony Decorators' Showhouse, Atlanta, GA
• March 2009 — Featured Artist, ArtXtravaganza Show, Webb School, Knoxville, TN
• May 2007 — Group Show, Lagerquist Gallery, Atlanta, GA
• May 2007 — Atlanta ARTHouse[07], Atlanta, GA
• February 2006 — Featured Artist, Saks 5th Avenue Artist Market & Trinity Artist Market, Atlanta, GA
• December 2005 — "Annual Pin-Up Show," Museum of Contemporary Art, Group Show, Atlanta, GA
• November 2005 – January 2006 — "Two Visions / Two Palettes," Cat Tesla & Joel Barr, Urban ArtWorks, Alpharetta, GA
• 2002 – 2005 — Ann Jacob Gallery, Atlanta, GA & Highlands, NC
• 1999 – 2002 — "Genesis Show," Roswell Cultural Arts Center, Roswell, GA
• 1998 – 2000 — Heaven Blue Rose Gallery, Roswell, GA
• 2001 – 2002 — Vermilion Gallery, Atlanta, GA
• 1999 — William W. Fincher, Jr. & Eunice L. Fincher Visual Arts Center, Waleska, GA
• 1998 – 2000 — Primitive Eye Gallery, Decatur, GA

Representation

• Chicago Art Source, Chicago, IL
• Curate 30A, Rosemary Beach, FL
• Jules Place, Boston, MA
• Judy Ferrara Gallery, Three Oaks, MI
• Signet Contemporary, London, UK
• Studio E Gallery, Palm Beach Gardens, FL

Selected Collections

• Advent Cancer Institute, Kansas City, MO
• Adventist Hinsdale Hospital, Hinsdale, IL
• Alabama Power Company, Birmingham, AL
• Alliance Hospital, Dallas, TX
• The American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, Washington, DC
• Atlantic Trust, Atlanta, GA
• Atrium Health, Stallings, NC
• Baptist Hospital Medical Towers, Jacksonville, FL
• Baptist Medical Center, Carthage, MS
• Belden Stratford, Chicago, IL
• Brightworth, Atlanta, GA
• Briggs & Veselka Co., Houston, TX
• Bryn Mawr Surgical Center, Bryn Mawr, PA
• California Bank & Trust, Carlsbad, CA
• Capital One, Alpharetta, GA
• Cheryl & Joseph Risko, Heathrow, FL
• Christine & Neil Dietsch, Tuscaloosa, AL
• Cold Chain Technologies, Franklin, MA
• Comanche County Medical Center, Comanche, TX
• Comanche County Memorial Hospital, Lawton, OK
• Condell Medical Center, Libertyville, IL
• David Baldacci, Author
• Deaconess Hospice House, Evansville, IN
• Drinker, Biddle, and Reath, Washington, DC
• Federal Reserve Bank, Jacksonville, FL Branch
• FedEx Family House, Memphis, TN
• First Commercial Bank, Jackson, MS
• Florida Hospital for Women, Orlando, FL
• Foley & Mansfield, Attorneys at Law, St. Louis, MO
• Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, Fort Belvoir, VA
• Fort Riley Irwin Community Army Hospital, Fort Riley, KS
• Georgia Power, Atlanta, GA
• Georgian Bank, Atlanta, GA
• Gordon Hospital, Calhoun, GA
• Harris Methodist Hospital, Fort Worth, TX
• Heritage Financial Services, Boston, MA
• Hill-Rom, Batesville, IN
• Houston Medical Cypress, Cypress, TX
• Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX
• Inspire Brands, Atlanta, GA
• Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Hope Tower, Neptune, NJ
• John & Jean Lansing, Knoxville, TN
• JTM MKE, Brookfield, WI
• Kaiser Hospital, San Diego, CA
• Kaiser Permanente Medical Office Building, Victorville, CA
• Kaiser Permanente, Mission Viejo Medical Office Building, Mission Viejo, CA
• Ken & Leslie Parent, Knoxville, TN
• Kingwood Medical Center, Kingwood, TX
• Kirkland Cancer Center, Jackson-Madison County General Hospital, Jackson, TN
• Koons-Fuller, Family Law, TX
• KRG Capital, Denver, CO
• Lenbrook, Atlanta, GA
• Long Island Jewish Hospital, New York, NY
• Magee Women's Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA
• Mesun Health Services, Lawrenceville, GA
• Methodist Hospital, Arcadia, CA
• Methodist West Houston Hospital, Houston, TX
• Miami Valley Hospital, Dayton, OH
• Mississippi Retina Associates, Ridgeland, MS
• Norman Regional Hospital, Norman, OK
• North Shore Long Island Jewish Hospital, Forest Hills, Queens, NY
• Northern Trust Bank, Chicago, IL
• Northside Hospital Cherokee, Canton, GA
• Northwest Community Hospital, Chicago, IL
• Northwestern Medicine, Chicago, IL
• Nueterra Healthcare, Kansas City, MO
• Oklahoma Heart Hospital, Oklahoma City, OK
• Parkview Hospital Randallia, Fort Wayne, IN
• Parkview Regional Medical Center, Fort Wayne, IN
• Partners Surgical, Hedgewig, TX
• Peter F. Reinecke, St. Louis, MO
• Primary Care Medical Specialists, Des Plaines, IL
• Principal Financial, Des Moines, IA
• ProHealthcare Medical Clinic, Mukwonago, WI
• Riverside Doctor's Hospital, Williamsburg, VA
• RSUI, Atlanta, GA
• Saint David's North Austin Medical Center, Austin, TX
• Saint Elizabeth's Hospital, Belleville, IL
• Saint John's Mercy Hospital, St. Louis, MO
• San Jacinto Methodist Hospital, Baytown, TX
• Schulz Eye & Surgery Center, Savannah, GA
• Scripps Clinic, Dermatology Suite, San Diego, CA
• Scripps Del Mar, Plastic Surgery & Reconstruction, San Diego, CA
• Sedgwick LLP, Newark, NJ
• Sharp Rees Stealy, San Diego, CA
• Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, Chicago, IL
• Skip & Nancy Elsas, Coconut Grove, FL
• State Street Corporation, Boston, MA
• Suburban Hospital, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Bethesda, MD
• Swedish Hospital Seattle, Edmonds Campus, Seattle, WA
• Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital, Dallas, TX
• Texas Health Resources Emergency Department, Fort Worth, TX

Film

• 2015 — "Scream" TV series, Next Film, Inc.; "Whisper" image, set dressing
• 2014 — Fathers & Daughters, F&D Productions, Inc. (starring Aaron Paul, Russell Crowe & Amanda Seyfried); "Horizons I & II" and "New Day," set dressing for an office in the film

Recent Awards

• 2023 — Merit Award, Painting, Vero Beach Under the Oaks Show, Vero Beach, FL
• 2023 — 3 Collector Awards, Gasparilla Art Show, Tampa, FL
• 2020 — 2 Collector Awards, Gasparilla Art Show, Tampa, FL
• 2020 & 2019 — Best in Painting, Bonita Springs National Art Show, Bonita Springs, FL
• 2016 & 2017 — Best in Painting, Brookhaven Fine Arts Show, Atlanta, GA
• 2016 — Juror's Choice, Des Moines Art Festival, Des Moines, IA
• 2016 — Award of Merit, Winter Park Art Show, Winter Park, FL
• 2015 — Best in Show, Brookhaven Fine Arts Show, Atlanta, GA
• 2015 — Best in Painting, Estero Fine Art Show, Estero, FL
• 2014 — Best in Painting, Estero Fine Art Show, Estero, FL

Professional Associations & Teaching

• 2021 — National Association of Women Artists, New York, Member
• 2005 – present — National Association of Independent Artists, Member
• 2008 – 2012 — Artists-4-Alzheimers, Volunteer Workshop Teacher for patients with Alzheimer's, William Bremen Jewish Home, Atlanta, GA

Books

• 2017 — Contributing Author, Secrets of the Art World: Getting Real about the Process, Business, and Selling of Your Work, by Litsa Spanos, June 2017

Press

• Beka Art Museum Magazine, New York, 2025
• Studio Visit Magazine, 2025
• Florida Design Artisans to Know, Sarasota Edition, Volume 2 #1, March 2024
• Luxe Magazine Naples-Sarasota, January/February 2024
• Art Radar Feature: "5 Questions to Cat Tesla," November 2023
• Bold Journey, Stories and Perspectives on Resilience Building, July 2023
• Art by Artists YouTube Interview, July 2023
• Vero Beach Magazine, February 2023, page 167
• Go Solo Magazine, January 2023
• Go Solo Magazine, November 2022
• Canvas Rebel, October 2022
• Independent Artists Podcast Interview, August 2022
• Saatchi Art: Best of 2022 Collection
• Saatchi Art: Best Selling Painters Collection 2022
• Saatchi Art Catalogue Vol. 3, Spring 2022
• Saatchi Art Catalogue Vol. 2, Spring 2022
• Saatchi Art Catalogue Vol. 1, Spring 2022
• Voyage Atlanta, June 2021: "Conversations with Cat Tesla"
• Shoutout Atlanta: "Meet Cat Tesla International Artist," May 2020
• Saatchi Art Catalogue, Spring 2020
• Florida Décor, June 2019, Palm Beach Edition, page 23
• House & Garden Magazine, Art Edit, June/July/August 2019
• ATGhousing.com, Featured Artist, August 2018
• VoyageATL, July 2018
• Atlanta Midtown Lifestyles Magazine, September 2017, "Serenity," page 34
• Muse Gallery Hilton Head review, July 2015
• CODAmagazine Feature: "Transformative Walls," June 2015
• Memphis Magazine, March 2013
• NPR Station WKNO Memphis, Interview with Cat Tesla, March 22, 2013
• Genetics in Medicine, August 2011, Cover, "Morning Mist"
• Kansas City REVIEW: "The Art of Nature," April 15, 2010
• Genetics in Medicine, April 2009, Cover, "Arrival I"
• Studio Visit Magazine, April 2009, "Outside of the Box"
• The Emory Report, February 11, 2008
• Southern Living Magazine, Georgia Living Section, February 2008
• Art Business News, August 2007, "Fluid in Motion," pp. 31–33
• Genetics in Medicine, September 2005, Cover, "Family Tree"
• The Santa Fe Opera Magazine, 2005, "The Clearing"
• Genetics in Medicine, May 2005, Cover, "Discovery"
• Art Galleries & Artists of the South, Summer 2004
• Genetics in Medicine, May/June 2001, Cover, "Jagged Edge"

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