Monica Kim Garza’s vibrant paintings center women of color in scenes that defy the traditional white male gaze, celebrating a liberated world of female joy, ease, and autonomy. Her mostly nude figures—painted with loose, expressive brushwork and a palette rich in tonal variation—inhabit vivid, dreamlike settings that blend real environments with emotional atmospheres. Across her body of work, these women drink, lounge, lift weights, and play ping-pong, fully owning their space and presence. A graduate of California College of the Arts with a BFA in painting and drawing, Garza has exhibited internationally in cities including New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Berlin, Copenhagen, and Basel. Beyond painting, she has explored ceramics and collaborated on a range of projects—from designing skate decks for 5BORO to creating pins with singer Angélica Rahe.