Emily Karaka was born in Auckland in 1952 where she continues to live and work. She belongs to the Tamaki Makaurau hapu (sub-tribe) of Ngai Tai. Karaka has exhibited regularly since 1980 and cites artists Colin McCahon, Philip Clairmont, Allen Maddox, Ralph Hotere and Tony Fomison among her mentors. Karaka is a well-known land claims activist, and is respected as a strong force in the Maori art movement of the 1980s.
Karaka paints in an expressionist style characterised by vibrant colour and heavily applied paint. Her work is guided by her whakapapa, and has focused on humanitarian and environmental issues, notably the Treaty of Waitangi. Karaka's paintings draw on diverse art-making traditions, including toi whakairo and abstract expressionism. Characterised by dazzling colour and emotional intensity, they frequently incorporate text.