Leslie Lew Mixed Media

Leslie Lew was born in New York City in 1953. Lew grew up in the suburbs of New Jersey and Chicago. Her father was a well-known executive art director and her subject matter was influenced by the commercial ads and products that surrounded her. She examines American culture and how it reflects on our tastes historically- good or bad. For over 25 years, she has been painting in a technique that she calls Sculpted Oils. With thick, sculpturally rich swirls of vivid color, she captures the essence of whatever she depicts, bringing it to life. She received her BFA And MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. During her graduate work, she was invited to participate in the SUNY/ Semester in New York City, a program much like the Whitney Museum, where she was given a studio and had weekly critiques by respected artists of the time. She ended up staying in NYC and had her first solo show at Sensory Evolution Gallery as one of the artists from the East Village Art Movement.