Catherine Graffam is an accomplished artist and educator based in Boston. She earned her BFA from the New Hampshire Institute of Art in 2015 and has since gained recognition for her work both nationally and internationally, with exhibitions in numerous museums and galleries. In 2017, she was honored as one of “Remarkable Women” by NH Magazine.
Graffam’s work has been featured in The Jealous Curator’s book, A Big Important Art Book (Now With Women!), and she was interviewed by TIME magazine regarding issues related to the transgender community. Her art is included in the permanent collection of the Library of Congress, underscoring its cultural and artistic significance.
Currently, Graffam serves as an exhibition manager at Gallery 263 in Cambridge, MA, and is a faculty member at Lasell University. She is also an InterACT Youth Member and an executive committee member for the Boston LGBT+ Artist Alliance, reflecting her commitment to empowering marginalized communities through her art and advocacy.
Graffam’s practice is deeply personal, using self-portraiture as a means of emotional processing and reflection. As a trans woman, she explores her identity and experiences through art, reclaiming agency over her body and confronting historical objectifications associated with oil painting. Her use of abstraction serves as a coping mechanism for addressing discomfort and challenging viewer biases. Catherine Graffam’s powerful and evocative body of work offers a profound exploration of the human experience.