Olivia Cohen

Olivia Cohen is an expressive realism artist currently working out of Manhattan. She holds a BA from Tufts University, where she studied Political Science and Studio Art. In 2023, Olivia was an elementary school art teacher, during which time she gained much inspiration and admiration for explorative and intuitive techniques. Her oil paintings span a wide range of subjects, and she finds inspiration largely from her daily life and the beauty around her.


Artist Statement

Grounded in realism yet liberated by a loose and expressive technique, my paintings invite viewers into a world where reality meets the boundless possibilities of an artist’s creation. I navigate the canvas with a playful spirit, embracing the whimsy and spontaneity inherent in each mark made. Through representational imagery, I aim to capture the essence of life in small, warm moments and explore mundane beauty and joy.

In my most recent work, I am focused on color relationships and the portrayal of flowers and plants. Flowers are just begging to be painted. There is something so natural about the way a brushstroke turns into a petal. In my mind, nature and art represent a symbiotic relationship. I don’t know that we can fully enjoy one without the other. I seek to explore and portray this notion on a deeper level so that my canvases may turn into a celebration of paint itself, nature itself, and the immensely wonderful combination of the two.

Each of these paintings is a color study. The smaller still lifes were created using only two colors assigned to each painting and titanium white. The larger, abstracted paintings are explorations of one color (written on the piece), mixed with several other pigments. Color holds so much influence over our perception, and these paintings are meant to celebrate the power and manipulation of paint and mark-making.


www.oliviacohenart.com

Can you describe the core themes and emotions you explore in your current body of work?

This current body of work explores the relationships between humans, nature, art, and color. My pieces are always about both the subject and art itself. In other words, art is a subject in all of my paintings, as I am interested in how art forces us to be present and connect with the mundane beauty around us. I find that art and nature play very similar roles in my life, and I particularly love when the two crossover. Flowers have been a central theme of my current work because I find there is something otherworldly that occurs when paint and flowers meet. Looking at a flower, painting a flower, and looking at a painting of a flower are each such beautiful, luxurious, indulgent experiences. These moments of being in the present and appreciating beauty epitomize what it means to be human — to have evolved beyond survival, to be able to seek a full and enjoyable life.


How does your creative process unfold from concept to completion?

My creative process almost always begins outside of the studio. Most of the concepts or inspiration for my paintings come from personal moments or experiences. I am constantly snapping reference photos throughout my daily life whenever I see something beautiful or moving. Once I have a piece and idea in mind of what I want to create, I typically turn to specific art or artists that I am currently feeling excited about to further develop the concept and style. I spend a lot of time exploring new art and searching for new modes of mark-making and representation. The most difficult part for me is getting started in the studio. Whether I am in the middle of a painting or starting something brand new, I always struggle to bring myself to get my materials set up and make the first mark of the day. I think this is because my creativity does not really start flowing until I have connected with my paintbrush or oil pastel and begun putting color down. Once I make my first move, the rest usually flows seamlessly. Paintings can take me one day or several weeks, and I have piles of unfinished pieces that may one day be completed or may never see the studio again.


What inspires you most outside of the visual arts, and how does it influence your work?

Outside of the visual arts, I am most inspired by my personal relationships and special moments of gratitude, nostalgia, and love. How I am feeling in a moment can really impact my perception of the world around me. If I am feeling sentimental, the candlelight flickering across the table might appear more warm and glowy, and the shadow of a flower’s petal dancing beside it will seem even more colorful and soft. My goal is for my art to reflect this phenomenon and highlight how our perceptions of beauty ebb and flow with our emotions.


How do you navigate the balance between personal expression and the commercial aspects of your career?

I think the ultimate goal is to not need to balance personal expression with commercial aspects. Of course, that is way easier said than done, but I have found that genuine passion for what I am creating helps to ameliorate the gap between the two. The work that I am most excited about and most confident in upon finishing is almost always the work that is received best by my audience and therefore has the most “commercial success.” When I produce pieces just because I think it is what my audience wants to see, it usually ends up backfiring because the emotion behind it is insincere. Excitement for something is contagious, and people often reciprocate how I genuinely feel about my paintings. These lessons have been especially important when handling commissions, which make up the bulk of my income. Many artists hate working on commissions because they feel that they lose their freedom in creativity and personal expression. I think when taking commissions, it is important to maintain your style and cater to subjects you naturally would paint otherwise. This makes your work come out stronger and your collectors happier in the long run.


What message or feeling do you hope viewers take away from experiencing your art?

There is no particular feeling I hope for viewers to experience when looking at my art. Rather, if they feel anything at all — something new or different to disrupt their day and normal thought paths — my mission is accomplished. I hope that they are present and that they consider the subject and color choices and what emotions that may bring up for them. I hope that they feel something new and are excited to be seeing something new that they have never seen before.