Artist Bio:
Megan Leah Gottfried (b. 1998, USA) is a Jewish contemporary painter and fiber artist based in Seattle, Washington. She recently graduated from Penn State University with an MFA in painting and has been exhibiting her work in galleries and museums across the United States.
Megan has had several solo exhibitions in recent years, including shows at the Museum of Museums (WA), Woskob Gallery (PA), and Base Camp Studios and Gallery (WA). She continues to push the boundaries of contemporary painting, and her work has been known for its relationship to depth and color theory.
Despite her active schedule as an adjunct professor and Chihuly Garden and Glass Art Tech, Megan remains dedicated to her practice. She spends many hours in her studio each week working on new paintings. She is determined to continue making meaningful contributions to the Seattle art world and using her work to challenge and inspire.
Artist Statement:
Megan Gottfried’s work explores the intersection of the human body and its surroundings, often depicting interior and exterior scenes with reflective light. She is particularly interested in imagination as a tool for reinventing memory, and she often incorporates elements of color theory into her compositions. In addition to her aesthetic interests, Megan is deeply committed to feminist principles. She believes art can challenge stereotypes and uses her work to explore the complexities of space and home using oil painting, questioning material hierarchy.
Most recently, Megan’s practice has focused on platonic intimacy. Emotional fabric landscapes titled Bedscapes illustrate this in her work examples. This naturalistic oil painting series is a combination of classical landscape painting with her tangible obsession with bodily fabric. Megan’s concept has evolved from a feminist focus to a universal longing for shared calm at the end of the day.