Biography

Carol-Anne McFarlane believes art is empowering.

She believes in action towards social reconstruction and a world of self-examination leads to self–improvement and empowerment.

She wants all of us to be more conscious of social manipulation and its long-term effects.

Carol-Anne McFarlane creates artwork that brings this consciousness to the forefront so people can be intentional when responding to what we experience in the world.

Her artwork is based on intersectional feminist ideas regarding gender and identity politics and systems because self-examination leads to self-improvement and empowerment.  These ideas are explored in various media including printmaking, drawing, video, and alternative media. McFarlane pairs her experiences with social critique to share her vision in challenging and reconstructing current social structures.

McFarlane has exhibited in Atlanta, Baltimore, New Orleans, New York, Des Plaines, Kansas City, London, and in various cities in South Florida. Her writing was published in an issue of Girls Get Busy, a UK zine about feminist artists. McFarlane’s work was in SELECT Art Fair in 2014 and in a segment of the Real Housewives of New York. McFarlane was a guest artist on ARTGirlTV in 2015. McFarlane was on a panel discussion about art and sexuality at the Beaver exhibition in New York, and in the Intersectionality show at the Museum of Contemporary Art in North Miami. The Self-Reflection show in New York, lead to McFarlane being covered in the Huffington Post and Vice. October 2016, McFarlane was shown in the Outer Space show in London, UK. In 2017, McFarlane’s video piece was chosen as a part of the 2017 Jamaica Biennial. Coco Dolle included McFarlane’s work in the Milk and Night/Black Mirror: 13 Artists exhibition at SPRING/BREAK Art Show in Times Square in New Year early 2017. Art511 Magazine named McFarlane one of the Top Ten NYC Artists Now in January 2019. McFarlane’s work was included in Beaver, the Exhibition in a Book; a collection of artists who delve into feminist perspectives on pornography, gender performance, and female sexual self-expression (published 2020). McFarlane was invited to participate in the AIM Biennial in 2020.

McFarlane’s perspective is sought after. People want to know more about her work and often invite her for conversation. She’s spoken at the Universities Art Association of Canada Conference in Quebec in 2019. As a guest on the Hazel Dooney Podcast, McFarlane spoke about the experience that influenced the art that she creates and the self-defined creative organizations that she works with. She’s spoken about her work on Queer Qonversations on Very G TV, The Circle with Niki Lopez, and IG Live with Sugarcane Magazine.

McFarlane was invited to participate in an International Cultural Exchange with Diaspora Vibe Cultural Arts Incubator in 2019 and 2020. The trips to Belize (2019), Guadeloupe (2020), Panama (2021), and Suriname (2023) included meeting with several artists, cultural institutions, and schools to discuss the ideas and issues faced in the Caribbean Diaspora and how it effects our cultural production.

McFarlane was one of 5 recipients of the DVCAI Artist Catalyst Award in 2020 and 2023. This award provided unrestricted support for McFarlane’s practice.

McFarlane spoke about the intersectional feminist ideas in her art at the UAAC (Universities Art Association of Canada) Conference in Quebec in 2019.

She was invited to share her thoughts on a panel discussion, Tonal Distancing with DVCAI via Zoom in 2020.

McFarlane’s work with self- defined, intersectional organizations includes independent curators, artist-led projects, and nonprofit alternative spaces. McFarlane spoke about art and business at Black Girl Basel, a virtual networking event, for black creatives, during Miami Art Week 2020. Chief curator, Sophie Bonet, invited McFarlane to guest curate DISOBEDIENT: Redefining Feminism in a Fractured Reality for ArtServe in 2020 and Sui-Generis: Converging Visions of New Identities in 2022.  McFarlane’s work was included in Beaver, the Exhibition in a Book (published 2020), an artist led project exploring pornography, gender, and sex.

McFarlane was born in Fort Lauderdale, to Jamaican parents. She attended the Atlanta College of Art and graduated with a BFA in Illustration. She was a Resident Artist at the Lauderhill Arts Center for 6 years. She lives and works in Miami, Florida.