Lesley Thiel
Ireland
Lesley Thiel is a self taught figurative artist known for her highly detailed photorealistic paintings. Working in oils, her pieces focus on narrative portraiture and magical realism. Her paintings contain imagery designed to express her thoughts on the fate of our species, and on our relationship with the earth in the face of man-made climate change. She uses the symbolism associated with feathers, flowers, and animals to communicate her fears for the future of life on our planet, and as a sign of hope for our collective future. Her paintings speak of the strength of the upcoming generation of young women and girls who may well be our saviors. She questions the accepted narrative of the female voice in society and the myths attached to this.
Lesley’s work has been included in numerous exhibitions, including at the Museum of Modern European Art (MEAM), Barcelona; Wassau Museum of Contemporary Art; The Mall Galleries, London; The Salmagundi Club; RJD Gallery, New York; Terminal 5 Heathrow (as part of the Olympic Celebrations); Zhou B Art Center. She has received a Certificate of Excellence from the Portrait Society of America, and several awards from the Art Renewal Center. Her work is part of both the Art Renewal Center Collection, and the Bennett Collection. Born in England, she now lives and works in North Carolina.
* This statement has been provided directly by the artist in association to their 15th International ARC Salon entries. This content has not been edited for typos or grammatical errors and has not been vetted for accuracy.
