Traci Wright Martin is an award-winning charcoal and mixed media artist and internationally published author. The overall narrative in her portrait and figurative work addresses the idea of representation, weaving contemporary realism with abstract design elements. Her pioneering approach to mixed media utilizes charcoal as the foundation and brings in various combinations of paint, patterned paper collage and other experimental techniques to the finished design. The primary thematic focus in Martin's work is the legacy and evolution of the female experience and its influence on artmaking and cultural traditions. She ties an autobiographical visual philosophy to the broader, shared human experience through symbolic elements of nature in a unique, yet relatable style. 

 

After graduating with a BA in Art from Southeastern Oklahoma State University, she spent her early career showing extensively in the Oklahoma and Texas art scenes, with artist teaching residencies in Oklahoma, Arizona and Alaska. Solo and group shows have included the Oklahoma State Capitol gallery, Oklahoma Contemporary, The Charles B. Goddard Center, IAO Gallery, 33 Contemporary Gallery in Chicago, the Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art, Brookgreen Gardens Museum, The Grand Bohemian Gallery, and both the Equity Gallery and the Salmagundi Club in New York City. She has received numerous awards and top accolades in international, national and regional juried shows, claiming multiple “Best in Show” titles. Her work has been featured in a number of publications including Fine Art Connoisseur, Artist's Network: Best of Drawing, American Art Collector, International Artist, Pastel Journal, New Visionary Artist Magazine, Vessel Magazine and a selection of titles for PoetsArtists. Martin’s first book, a retrospective of her work entitled “North/South”, was published in 2024 by Snap Collective in Copenhagen, Denmark. 

 

Martin's work has found its way to private and public collections both in the U.S. and internationally. Most recently, 20 of her works (as well as her "North/South" book cover image) have been curated into the Lunar Codex, a series of permanent time capsules residing on the moon’s surface. This comprehensive project by Canadian physicist and author Dr. Samuel Peralta is the first to send the artwork of women to the moon in a groundbreaking new era of space exploration. 

 

Martin is a proud member of the historic Salmagundi Club in New York City, and a Signature Member of  American Women Artists. She is represented by Spoonbill Gallery and Thornback Gallery and works alongside a distinguished group of artists at Oye Studios in Greenville, South Carolina where she also lives with her husband Evan, her dog Joni, and her cat, Joseph Campbell.