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Art Exhibitions
EROS DRAWN
Erotic paintings by
Lia Strasser
Opening Reception:
Friday, June 21st
6-8pm
On view June 21 - Sept 14
Artist Statement:
The small sampling of erotic work shown at SHAG comes from a vast collection of intimate paintings created by Lia Strasser under the moniker Eros Drawn. This is the first public exhibition of Eros Drawn, a body of work that began in 2020 and spans to present day. Isolated during the pandemic, faced with the weight of mortality, and poignant dread, the artist found refuge in painting erotic fantasy. As the physical world shut down around her, her need for imaginative realms and new modes of human connection expanded. The artist began sexting with strangers on dating apps, Reddit, and instagram and painting the photos that were exchanged. The models of these intimate portraits include the artist herself, online and IRL lovers and strangers many of whom sent photos anonymously. Painting and publishing this work on instagram as Eros Drawn allows Strasser to be an artist free of societal expectation and restraint concerning sexuality, beauty, gender, and art. The artist is free to inhabit a world where sexual expression is the root of human creativity and the highest priority. Through this painting practice the artist has been able to embrace the idiosyncratic characteristics of her physical body, personality and her mark making. She has also helped others see beauty in their unique bodies and desires. The artist hopes that by artfully rendering visuals widely considered "inappropriate" in watercolor and ink (traditional mediums learned in her fine art training), she will be doing her part in eradicating sexual shame and promoting self acceptance.
Lia Strasser is an award-winning creative based in Upstate NY. Equal parts fine artist, creative director, designer, and illustrator, Strasser is ever pushing her abilities forward. Born in New York City in 1984, Strasser studied art at Skidmore College and abroad in Rome, Italy. She has received multiple artist grants and residencies abroad. Lia Strasser works in both traditional and digital media and is a contributor at The New Yorker Magazine and an Art Director for BET, Paramount.