Karna Marea Birmingham

Karna Maria Birmingham (3 December 1900 – 5 July 1987) was an Australian artist, illustrator and print maker. She was best known for her numerous illustrations of children's books.

Life and training Birmingham was born in the Sydney suburb of Mosman, the daughter of Irish doctor and published black & white artist. Herbert Joseph Birmingham, and Karn Marie Nielsen, a Dane and her father's live-in maid. After completing school at Loreto, Kirribilli, Birmingham went on to study at the Julian Ashton Art School in Sydney from 1914 - 1920. by self inflicted gunshot wounds.

Birmingham exhibited work at the Anthony Hordern Fine Art Gallery in 1921 along with other notable women painters such as Dorrit Black, Viola Macmillan Brown, Myra Cocks, Alice Creswick, Olive Crane, Grace Crowley, Anne Dangar, Marlon Ferrier, Georgina Hughes, and Bell Walker. She also featured her linocuts at numerous exhibitions

In 1934, Birmingham wrote and illustrated a children's book of verse Skippety Songs and illustrated numerous others.

Her work is represented in the collections of the National Gallery.