Karl Lairtus-Betancourt

Born in Puerto Rico and shaped by decades of diasporic movement across the United States, I explore themes of memory, vulnerability, and self-discovery through painting and drawing. After earning a Master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Florida and contributing to public redevelopment and transportation planning in Miami and New Jersey, I returned fully to my lifelong passion for art. Now based in Arizona and pursuing graduate studies at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, my work reimagines inner and outer worlds through meditative imagery that invites viewers into reflection, self-questioning, and personal interpretation.