Kara Zuzu (Zupancic) is a Pittsburgh-based ceramic sculptor whose practice spans large-scale, installation-driven work and small, intimate pieces. Drawing on the natural world, storytelling, and lived experience, she uses animal forms as symbolic vessels to explore the human experience. Through scale, repetition, and spatial awareness, her installations position viewers within shared and sometimes unsettled perspectives.
Zuzu earned a BA in Studio Art and Art Education from Saint Vincent College and an MA in Art Education from Edinboro University. After more than a decade as an arts educator, she transitioned to full-time studio practice in 2020.
She has developed her practice through residencies and advanced mentorships, including the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, a three-year advanced mentorship at Anderson Ranch Arts Center, and an artist residency at Northern Clay Center. Zuzu is a recipient of the Laura Ziegler Participation Scholarship Award, an Anonymous Artist Fellowship, and multiple Pittsburgh-based artist grants.
