Megan Burak
1993–
Megan Burak is a contemporary realist artist specializing in portraiture and working in oils. Her portrait and still-life artwork contain multitudes, as she harnesses universal human emotions such as sadness, hopelessness, joy, and pain, giving them a leading role in her paintings.
Personal History
Born in Pittsburgh in 1993, Megan Burak’s family moved east to Ocean City, Maryland when she was four. Art was first introduced into her life, through childhood projects involving coloring, painting, and making seashell necklaces. For the young Burak, art was a fun distraction but it was about to become so much more. In middle school, she received her first sketchbook and would draw eyes, animals, random objects, and even celebrities. As she got older, she took art classes in high school and received positive feedback from teachers which led to more art classes at Salisbury University while still carrying an “undecided” major until her Junior year. Burak’s professors encouraged her art; today she has a degree in Fine Art with a 2D concentration. Megan states that much of what she knows about art can be attributed to her college Professor and mentor, Jinchul Kim.
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Megan Burak’s primary artistic inspiration has always been people. She loves the challenge that portraiture brings with a myriad of colors in skin, hair, and eyes that most people just don’t see. Being an artist provides Burak with the unique opportunity to see these kaleidoscopes of colors in everyday life and use them to create realistic paintings. She also masterfully captures personality and narrative in her paintings.
From clocks to teapots, seashells to sunshine, and birds, cookbooks, and pens, Megan Burak strives to create different narratives within a single frame. She notes that life is complex and strange, and people have individual reactions to the things they go through. Her artistic intention is to allow the viewer to use the events in their life as a way to connect with the stories of her paintings and, in turn, form a story for themselves. Burak’s artwork causes collectors to ask questions, feel feelings, and experience a sense of wonder about the world around them.
To create her oil paintings, Megan Burak uses a process that’s practical and technical compared to other artists. Instead of painting on a stark white canvas, she starts by lightly sanding the canvas and putting a wash on that’s usually made of a mix of cerulean blue, raw umber, and turpenoid. She’ll then draw out an image on the canvas as proportionally accurate as possible before starting to paint, sometimes even measuring it down to the millimeter, because she finds that a good drawing is a good base for a painting. While working, Burak listens to audiobooks or music. The result is a relaxing atmosphere that surrounds her in artistic expression.
When she’s not painting, Megan Burak is probably still listening to music or planning a trip to her and her husband’s next music festival. Her shih tzu bichon frise mix, Appa, is the love of her life, and every Saturday they are at the beach with friends.
Accomplishments
Megan Burak is currently in her 2nd year as a resident studio artist at the Art League of Ocean City MD. Several of her works of art are in the permanent collection at Salisbury University. She has exhibited in shows all over Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, and New York and have won multiple awards, most recently:
- First Place, Home Sweet Home Group Show, The Art League of Ocean City, 2024
- Honorable Mention, Juried Winter Member Show, Maryland Federation of Art, 2023
- Jurors Award of Excellence, Juried Biennial Show, Rehoboth Art League, 2022
- Award Nomination, Coastal Style Magazine’s Best Artist/Painter, Ocean City, MD, 2021
- Best In Show, Beverly Bassford Juried Show, The Art League of Ocean City, 2021
In 2023, Megan Burak was diagnosed with Endometriosis after having surgery to remove an ovarian cyst. Burak is keen to note that the disease doesn’t define her, but it is quite literally a part of her. She has developed a series of flower painting inspired by her diagnosis, and hopes to continue these paintings as a way of raising awareness and showing other women that they are not alone.
To inquire about collecting the art of Megan Burak, attend one of Park West’s online auction weekends or contact a sales associate via email at sales@parkwestgallery.com or by phone at (866) 995-0904 (option 4).
