About Karlisima

Born in San Salvador, El Salvador, Karla Cecilia Rodas (Cortez) --"Karlisima," is a world renowned artist, who was mentored by José Mejía Vides, considered by many a pillar of Salvadoran art, and by Armando Solis, another great master painter from El Salvador. Under his influence and through her extensive travels through Europe, Karlisima's developed a fond appreciation for the masters of the Italian renaissance, French Impressionists and Post-Impressionists. Karlisima’s talent won her a scholarship to Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, where she studied fine arts and languages.

Karlisima’s art is based on the Mayan Magic Surrealism and is described by critics as “simply amazing and fantastic” because it depicts elements of this world intertwined with those of the world beyond the physical. Her bright and vivid colors express her passion for life and describe eloquently the tropical beauty of her native El Salvador and the enchantment of Sonsonate, a rural town and one of the 14 departments or states of El Salvador, where Karlisima spent the summers of her childhood. It is Sonsonate's "four hundred wells of water," as well as her mother's poetry, which inspired and captivated Karlisima to paint rivers and cascades.  

Symbols of Mother Nature such as the sun, rainbows, volcanoes, fire, Quetzal birds, red roses, trees and dramatic skies at sunset are some of the elements that fill her paintings with the notion that the Land is, indeed, sacred.

Her devotion to the arts has led garnered her numerous awards including a recognition given by the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for her contribution to the Arts as “a National Hispanic Heritage Pride” for her exhibit titled “Magic, Myth and the American Way.”  She has received numerous grants from the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities and the Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation, as well as being featured as one of the ten most recognized Salvadoran-Americans in the book titled “Salvadorans in America.”

Karlisima has exhibited extensively around the world, in London, in July 2005, and in Germany in September 2005 and 2006.  Her paintings are most notably collected in Germany, Italy, England, Switzerland, France, El Salvador and the United States. Several of her works belong to private collections in New York, Washington DC and Europe.  One of her self-portraits is the signature piece of the Women of the Word exhibition and can be seen at the permanent collection of the International Museum of Women in San Francisco, California. Her portraits have traveled around the world and has been shown in museums in Greece, Iceland, among others.

Karlisima resides in Washington D.C. and paints at her Adams Morgan Studio-Atelier, which is also her home. She has worked with several D.C. based community centers to teach mural painting to underprivileged children. She has made several murals with children and youth, including the mural with MILPA and Latin American children at the Wesley United Methodist Church. With this and similar projects she aims to stimulate and encourage these children to use their energies and potential in positive and creative projects. She is a role model for young minorities as evidenced by the influence of her thriving art career in teaching Latin teenagers to raise awareness of the dangers of alcohol and drug awareness (www.soyunica.gov). She has given numerous slide presentations of her at High Schools in New York, DC, Maryland and Virginia to motivate teenagers to follow and pursue their dream and to believe in themselves.

Some of Karlisima's murals can be seen at Luigino Italian Restaurant (Fine Italian Dining), located in the heart of downtown DC at 1100 New York Avenue ( 12th and H Street and New York Avenue NW) (tel. 202.371.0595). The murals are located inside the Ladies' and Men's Restrooms. Luigino's Restaurant is one of Washington DC's finest authentic Italian cuisine! www.luigino.com

Another of her murals can be seen at Luigi's Italian Restaurant (Pizzeria and family restaurant) located on 19th (near the intersection with L Street NW) = 1132 19th Street NW Washington DC 20026 (two blocks from Dupont Circle). Mural located on second floor. www.famousluigis.com

You can also see one of Karlisima's Large painting at Café Atlantico Restaurant at 405 8th Street NW Washington DC 20004, Chinatown, Tel. 202.393.0812. www.cafeatlantico.com

Contact information:

 Karlisima at karlisima@hotmail.com