Elizabeth Coffey

Elizabeth Coffey is a Richmond, Virginia-based mixed media artist working primarily with oil paint, lace fabric, and canvas. A central theme in her work is the tension between the seen and the unseen—and its relevance to female identity. She received her BFA in Graphic Design from Virginia Commonwealth University, and her love of color, design, and typography strongly influences her artistic approach. She has exhibited in a variety of regional and national venues, and in 2022 was awarded a residency at the Atlantic Center for the Arts in New Smyrna Beach, Florida.


Artist Statement

I paint faces, specifically of women, because I'm drawn to the subtle tension between what's visible and what's concealed. I'm constantly exploring the multifaceted nature of female identity. My early experiences with sewing and needlework sparked a fascination with materials, leading me to often incorporate repurposed domestic fabrics into my work. Painting on lace curtains, with their inherent associations of domesticity and traditional female creativity, feels particularly resonant. They become both my painting surface and a symbol of how we often veil parts of ourselves that don't align with societal expectations.

Language has always been important to me, and my background in graphic design influences how I use text in my paintings. Stenciled words alongside carefully rendered faces emphasize the disconnect between what we project outwardly and the hidden narratives we carry within. I want to give voice to the unspoken complexities of the female experience through this interplay of text and portraiture.

Historically, painting has been a male-dominated field, while crafts like sewing and needlework were often relegated to women and undervalued. My work seeks to bridge this divide, merging these traditionally separate realms into a hybrid medium that celebrates both.


elizabethcoffey.com