Leslie Lew

Leslie Lew was born in New York City in 1953 and grew up in the suburbs of New Jersey and Chicago. Her father was a well-known advertising executive, and the commercial ads and products that surrounded her shaped her artistic vision. She explores childhood memories and American culture, examining how it reflects our tastes historically, both good and bad.
Lew received her B.F.A. and M.F.A. from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where her signature “sculpted oils” technique first developed through her supermarket paintings. Inspired by her father’s advertising work, she found a wealth of inspiration in product labels and supermarket aisles. Pop-culture items like food packaging and comic books became the foundation of her art. Using icons like Wonder Woman and Dick and Jane, she reaches back through American culture to capture childlike moments many have forgotten. During graduate school, she participated in the SUNY Semester in New York City program and stayed to become part of the East Village Art Movement, having her first solo show at Sensory Evolution Gallery in 1985.
Lew’s work has been exhibited at prestigious venues including the Guggenheim Museum and in galleries alongside Warhol, Lichtenstein, and Man Ray. She received a grant for her children’s book “Buki’s Garden” and was named Artist of the Year by Liquitex Paint in 2009. Leslie Lew is represented by Park West Gallery and continues working near Peekskill, New York.