Sam Avelar

Sam Avelar  (b. 2000)is a painter based in Santa Barbara, California. Informed by her upbringing between California and Canada, her work explores the relationship between memory and impression through depictions of the natural and domestic worlds. Moving between degrees of realism, Avelar considers how color, atmosphere, and the spaces surrounding objects can shape perception and emotional experience.

Her paintings are constructed through a process of layering, editing, and overpainting. Certain elements remain visible while others are obscured, allowing each work to function as a record of its own evolution. This process reflects the shifting nature of memory—its omissions, additions, and fictions—and the ways personal histories are continually revised over time.

Avelar received her BFA from Emily Carr University of Art + Design in 2025. Her first solo exhibition, Try to Get It as It Is, was presented at The661 in Vancouver in 2023. Recent exhibitions include New Gardens, a solo exhibition at Domecil Studio in Santa Barbara (2026); Softening at Janey Gallery in Cambridge, Ontario (2026); and the Summer Group Show at Francis Gallery in Los Angeles (2026).