BIOGRAPHY

Margaret Roleke was born in New York. She currently lives in Brooklyn and Connecticut. Roleke has had recent solo exhibits at Real Art Ways, Hartford, CT, Pen+Brush Gallery New York, NY, and Five Points Art Gallery, Torrington, CT. Her work has been included in shows at The Aldrich, Katonah Museum of Art, and WhiteBox New York, NY. Roleke received an Artist Respond Grant from the Connecticut Commission on the Arts in 2024. An outdoor sculpture of Roleke’s was installed in Morningside Park in New York City in April 2024. This year she had a residency at ArtPort Kingston and at Teton Artlab in Jackson, Wyoming and has an upcoming one at the Vermont Studio Center in 2025.

ARTIST STATEMENT

America is at a crossroads, facing intertwined crises—systemic racism, gun violence, climate change, wars abroad, and the dismantling of truth. My work is an urgent, creative response to these overwhelming issues, aiming to provoke thought, dialogue, and action. Working across mediums; cyanotypes, prints, sculptures, and installations, I explore how these forces shape our collective experience. Living near Sandy Hook Elementary School, where a devastating mass shooting occurred in 2012, has deeply informed my artistic approach. My sculptures, crafted from spent shotgun shells, stand as visceral reminders of lives lost to gun violence, while also symbolizing resilience and the potential for change.

I believe art has a role in advocacy, which is why a percentage of all my sales supports gun control organizations, aligning my work with tangible social impact. I move fluidly between mediums—blending silkscreen, monoprint, collage, and even sewn elements—each choice reflecting the layered complexity of our time. By combining these varied techniques, I create works that are not only visually compelling but also rich with meaning, engaging viewers to confront and reflect on the realities we face. My hope is that my art becomes part of a larger conversation about healing, resistance, and the urgent need for change in America and throughout the world.

VIEW CV HERE