Katherine Bernhardt received a Master of Fine Arts degree from the School of Visual Arts, New York in 2000. Bernhardt's materials include thinned, fluid pools of acrylic and assured, drippy marks of spray paint, connecting the works to Gestural style. Her work attracts the eye like painted wallpaper, with rhythmic patterns that mimic those found in Moroccan rugs and African textiles. These works are often referred to as "pattern" paintings.