Born to artist parents in New York City, Gabrielle Garland (previously featured here) grew up helping out with her mother’s decorative painting business. “That experience has been a major influence on my career as an artist,” she explains. “I developed a strong association between painting and built space. Rather than painting on the surface of a built space, I represent built spaces in my work.” After her dad passed away from COVID-19 on May 14, 2020, Garland succeeded his rent-stabilized apartment in the east village, where she now resides, splitting her painting time between home and her art studio in Brooklyn. 

“Space, design, and architecture are timeless concerns,” she elaborates. “They are at the core of our civilization and history. Humans have always had the need and drive to make a home for themselves, whatever the setting and circumstances. My work addresses only a small slice of this vast context, so I know I can never exhaust my subject matter. The challenge of defining territory and making oneself a home is a timeless one.”

See more from Gabrielle Garland below!