Through her paintings, Olivia Chigas seeks to convey the “quiet, often unspoken experiences of women in the modern urban landscape.” Inspired by the urban loneliness conveyed by artists Edward Hopper and Giorgio de Chirico, and by the aesthetics of Tamara de Lempicka and late 20th century filmmaking, Chigas creates closely composed images of figures captured in fleeting moments of emotion. Clothing, architecture, and pose suggest larger, hidden narratives, leaving the thoughts and stories of these characters mysteries into which the viewer must insert their own intuition, speculation, and experience.
Chigas was born and raised in New York City and holds a BFA in printmaking from the Rhode Island School of Design and a MFA in painting from the New York Academy of Art. A recent graduate, she has worked as a K-8 teaching fellow, ceramics studio monitor, artist’s assistant, and printmaking instructor. In 2023, she participated in group exhibitions at Voltz Clarke Gallery and the New York Academy of Art and in 2022 at the Living Gallery in Brooklyn. She was named an AXA Art Prize Award Finalist in 2023 and was recognized with a residency fellowship at the Vermont Studio Center in Johnson, Vermont.
Chigas resides in New York, New York.
Instagram: @ochigas
