Through vibrant colors and personal expressions, Katrina Macias looks to expand her own artistic ventures and step into the teaching industry while not appealing to the opinions of what people think normal art should be.
Macias, a master’s student in fine arts from San Antonio and a student instructor in the School of Art, said most of her artwork tends to be self-portraiture. Through this, she paints a world of familiar characters inspired by her upbringing to provide a way to process personal stress or emotions.
A lot of colors in her paintings are inspired by the club scene, which is something she was invested in before attending Tech. She said the scene is much smaller in Lubbock, so she wants to fill that void and bring a bit of normal to the new world around her.
“Finding the colors that kind of correlate with clubs — so like those deep purples, the bright pinks and the sort of disorientated vibe to it,” Macias said.
She said her background and experiences are ideas she addresses in her art, which result in paintings that depict deep colors and figures that relate to her. Being in Lubbock, she said her craft gives her the ability to express what she wants freely without having to appeal to others’ opinions on what her art should look like.
“I’m very into the idea of what the true self is when you’re free from all societal expectations and mannerisms and how you’re supposed to act,” Macias said. “Is that the real self, or is the real self the one bound by constraint?”
Ghislaine Fremaux, a graduate painting professor in the School of Art, said Macias represents the goals and dreams an artist needs to succeed, which can be seen in her artwork.
“We see students that pour themselves into their work and that invest so seriously in their work and take pleasure in the work and push themselves,” Fremaux said. “I think we see great returns on that, and Katrina really does embody that kind of commitment and ambition in her work.”
Due to the effort she’s put into her art, Macias was selected, along with other undergraduate and MFA students, to be showcased in a temporary gallery in Mexico City.
Titled “Disrupting the Horizon: Human Gestures from the Texas Tech University School of Art,” Macias said the showing is a collection of artwork that goes against the traditional societal norms for what art should look like.
Texas Tech masters student studying fine arts Katrina Macias poses in front of her artwork in her studio in the College of Architecture Oct. 13, 2025.
Jake Cooper
“It’s really nice to be able to just have work there, especially internationally so early,” Macias said. “I didn’t think I would be able to do that, so it’s a really good opportunity.”
Macias said she hopes to grow as an artist and connect with people who are as enthusiastic about art as she is, showing them their work doesn’t need to be bound to what’s considered normal.
“I think, while it’s very personal to me, I think that I’ve been working to curate it so that it feels like it can be recognized by other people,” she said.
Wanting to reach more people, Macias began teaching at Tech as an instructor during the summer.
She said the ability to see students improve in their work is rewarding, as she can help them progress in the classroom and learn more about a subject throughout the semester.
“I think I’d want to do the residency track right when I get out, try and make art for a little bit, and then come back to teaching,” Macias said. “So that way, if I improve my own skills, I’ll be better equipped to improve their own.”
Fremaux said Macias is a gifted student instructor with the ability to reach students personally. She said Macias does this by integrating her own creative thought process into her teaching.
“I think she could really find herself as a professor one day, also with a very active research practice,” Fremaux said. “I think she’ll continue to wow us through the next year and a half of her degree program, and then beyond.”
Fremaux said she can see Macias’ work ethic and enthusiasm being mirrored in the other MFA students.
“We happen to have just so many great graduate students,” Fremaux said. “There’s a real community among our grads, and I see Katrina as a real pillar in that community.”