Shara Mays’s visual style is inherently intuitive, embracing the liberties of abstraction. Her works are expressions of subconscious movements, continuously engaging with the natural landscapes of Northern California. For Mays, landscapes are never static; they are inherently improvisational and perpetually evolving. Through abstraction, she invites viewers to explore the unique intricacies of the land. Mays is based in Oakland and San Francisco, California, but is originally from Princeville, North Carolina. She earned her BFA from the Corcoran College of Art and Design in 2000 and her MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute in 2020. Her artwork has been showcased at various prestigious venues, such as James Cohan Gallery in New York (2024), Harper’s in Los Angeles (2024), Hunter Dunbar Projects in New York (2023), the San Francisco Art Institute (2021), and the de Young Museum in San Francisco (2020). Her pieces are part of collections at the Corcoran Art Gallery in Washington, DC, the Green Family Art Foundation in Dallas, and the International African American Art Museum in Charleston. Recently, her work has been highlighted in publications like Artnet, The Guardian, and Juxtapoz. Mays currently resides and creates in Oakland.