Eileen Laskowski specializes in narrative figurative drawings and paintings that feature expressive line work, where the female form is used to transcribe emotional and physical feelings and tension. She received a BFA in Studio Art in Drawing and Painting from Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana, in addition to completing specialized coursework in figure drawing at the University of Notre Dame and Universidad Veritas in San José, Costa Rica. Eileen uses research in history and women’s studies to fuel inspiration for her work and was a Dave Walter Research Fellow at the Montana Historical Society in 2020, in addition to holding a position as Curator of Education in fine art museum management for eight years, prior to making the transition into full-time artist in 2021. She lives and works in Billings, Montana.
About my artwork:
I primarily work with graphite pencil, which generates raw, expressive drawings. I feel that the raw lines help to convey emotion. When I use color, I largely use it to embellish the drawing. My artwork stems from my personal experience as a woman. I think about the times I have felt broken, wronged, or hurt, and I feel it physically in all parts of my body. Therefore, the female body is present frequently in my artwork – severed, distorted, sexual – because I view it as the rawest expression of the female experience and womanhood. I see the female body as a battleground, and I feel that female nudity and sexuality are not ugly or forbidden, but actually authentic, truthful, and beautiful.
Contact:
For questions, comments, or purchase inquiries, please email eileen.laskowski@gmail.com.