Kristen Palana is an American/Portuguese interdisciplinary artist, educator, and consultant based in Rome. She created the Digital Media track of the Communication Program at AUR, where she taught full-time from 2006, earned tenure in 2009, and led the Film and Digital Media Program from 2013 to 2016. She has taught at universities and organizations on four continents, including the American University of Myanmar, and currently offers in-person, hybrid, and online courses for individuals, international organizations, and universities. She has reached over 90,000 students from 191 countries since 2014, with learners ranging from refugees and diplomats to individuals living on less than $2 USD a day.
As a consultant, she has developed training programs and multimedia content for organizations including UNICEF, WHO, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, GIZ, the CDC, the British High Commission, and the Australian High Commission.
Her fine art practice centers on sacred geometry, healing symbols, and cross-cultural visual language. Her mixed media drawings are inspired by the ambitious mission statements of the world’s leading organizations and explore symbols and patterns with cross-cultural significance, infusing themes of unity and oneness. In 2025 she presented her solo exhibition The Art of Reset during Rome Art Week at TH Carpegna Palace, a multisensory immersive installation of light, sound, and geometry. Her earlier animations have screened at over 75 international film festivals, including Cannes Short Film Festival, earning multiple Best Animated Short Film awards.
Research Interests: Sacred geometry and cross-cultural symbolism; art as a healing and connective force; AI as a strategic and administrative tool for creative professionals; immersive and installation-based practice; digital media education in international and underserved contexts.
Affiliations
- Mastrius (artist mentor & masterclass facilitator)
Selected projects & publications
- The Art of Reset, solo exhibition, Rome Art Week 2025. TH Carpegna Palace, Rome.
Immersive installation combining large-scale sacred geometry projections, sound design, and participatory elements.
- Online instructor since 2014.
Over 90,000 students in 191 countries across courses in digital media, design, creativity, and professional development.
- Animated short films screened at over 75 international film festivals including Cannes Short Film Festival, Italy International Film Festival, and Sunscreen Film Festival, earning multiple Best Animated Short Film awards.
Links