Mariam Paré is a visual artist and mouth-painter. She became a quadriplegic after surviving an act of gun violence when she was a college student. After re-training herself to paint by holding the brushes in her mouth, she returned to complete degrees in Visual Art and Multimedia Design and continued to develop herself as a visual artist and "mouth-painter."
Today, Mariam is a prolific artist celebrated for her mouth-painted portraits and multimedia works. In addition to painting, she makes diverse and inclusive artwork, illustrations, and installation art, often touching on motifs based on the disability experience. She is creator of Tres Fridas Project, a highly reviewed exhibition that "re-imagines art through the disability lens."
Her major commissions include projects for Craig H. Nielsen Foundation, Pepsi Co., Omorose Cosmetics, and LifeWTR. Paré is a 3Arts/Bodies of Work Fellow, and active member of the disability arts community in Chicago. She is a member of the association of Mouth and Foot Painting Artists (MFPA) worldwide, and volunteers with the Associate Board at the Shirley Ryan Ability Lab.
"I make art to better understand myself and the world around me. I make art to call attention to things I think are meaningful. ...Through art I have immense freedom."
