Born in New York City, Caryn Friedlander earned a master's degree in East Asian art history (University of Washington, 1987), and a Master of Fine Arts degree in painting and drawing (University of Washington, 1991). She lived in Seattle, the Aleutian Islands, and in Japan via the prestigious Monbusho Fellowship, before settling in Bellingham, Washington where she thrives with her husband, surrounded by nature and animals. Friedlander taught drawing and painting at Whatcom Community College from 1992 to 2015, when she retired from teaching to focus solely on her studio work. Her work is included in a number of private and public collections, including The New York Public Library, Swedish Hospital, Washington State University, Vulcan Foundation, Whatcom Museum and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.