05/27/2026
In a nod to sustainability, Deb Lawrence paints, manipulates, and collages previously loved materials including antique linen sheets, marred canvas, recycled brown paper lawn bags, and old textiles that come to her bearing a story and soul. Linen, handwoven by women long ago, is layered with oil paint, oil stick, marble dust, recycled paper, and leftover cutouts from the studio floor.
“My work is far from precious. It’s a happy day when a bundle of linen, wrapped in brown paper and tied with string, arrives on my doorstep, each sheet unique in its texture, heft and floppy hand, yet so familiar, like I’ve known her my whole life.”
The coarse threads, hand stitched seams, and occasional repairs highlight the vestiges of the female hand and engender a sense of strength, authenticity and beauty to what is genuine and imperfect. Her handling of materials is intimate and engaging as she sits directly on the floor folding, creasing, collaging and painting, creating striking dimensionality and imbuing her work with a veritable soul.
“It’s the creases and imperfections that create the patina and soulfulness I strive for in my paintings and in life.”
Layered, pieced and creased, Lawrence’s work deals with the “beauty of blemishes” and our struggle to feel comfortable in our own skin in the midst of the challenging world around us. She is known for her distinctive voice in the conversation about elevating the role of women and handcrafted objects to high art in the tradition of Judy Chicago, Rosemarie Trockel, the women of Gees Bend, and others whose work is inspired by women who have painstakingly handcrafted masterful works of art with little or no recognition or acclaim. Whether hanging suspended on the wall or mounted in deep profile frames, her textile paintings engage in fresh, innovative ways.
Lawrence recently moved to Hudson, NY. She lives and works in the heart of the historic art and antique district in an expansive art-collected loft she calls her “Art Dwelling.”
On view now in Between Here and Home, through July 12.
