Boutaleb was born in Champigny Sur Marne, France, a city on the outskirts of Paris, to Algerian parents. At a young age she had passion for art, but took her talent for a childhood pastime, not something to be taken seriously.

It was not until she was pursuing a degree in Latin American studies in Sorbonne University that her "hobby" became a real enterprise.

She decided to move to the Dominican Republic at the age of 18 and study Dominican music. The culture and the life of the Dominican Republic reanimated the desire within to forge a creative path.

"What has always impressed me deeply about the Dominican Republic was its music. It was always interesting on its own. It was thanks to this music and the encouragement of other artists that eventually [I was led] to pursue art," said Boutaleb.

She soon began receiving accolades for her vivid paintings, with art enthusiasts such as the acclaimed curator and art collector Enrique Guzman seeking out her work. Her paintings began to be featured in galleries all throughout the Dominican Republic, including El Centro Abreu, one of Dominican Republic's most significant gallery spaces.

Recently, Boutaleb moved to the United States with her husband, settling in northern Manhattan, with the hopes of making a similar impression here in New York City. She explained that she aims to bring to the art market her uniquely abstract work, one that she emphasizes is transparently personal.

"Hope Is Everything," is her first attempt at showcasing such ambitions. The exhibit will feature recent works that include a painting in acrylic titled, "My love for you grows everyday." The piece represents a very abstract fetus surrounded by a sea of orange, which according to Boutaleb, represents serenity, an element she considers necessary to development of any human being.

Her own love, which is represented through black scribbles, lends the emerging fetus detail.

The impression is of a symbiotic love, one in which it is the host mother's love for the fetus that creates an ideal environment for growth, while the fetus' corresponding development yields even greater affection in the mother.

"Recently, I've been concerned with the issue of motherhood because it is something that I'm going through," said Boutaleb. "It is a wonderful experience: having two daughters."

Beyond the themes of motherhood, Boutaleb's exhibit will also explore concerns with the world at large and her own psychological state of being, topics that are deeply personal and universal at once.

"My art sincerely reflects my internal worries," said Boutaleb

For more information on Karima Boutaleb's work and her upcoming exhibition at Altus Cafe that opens on Thurs., Aug. 9th, please visit www.karimaboutaleb.com.