Q&A with Stephanie Deshpande
#interview #figurativeart
Fresh Fallen Snow, 2020 | Oil on canvas | 24 × 36 in | 61 × 91.4 cm
“In my paintings, I strive to capture emotion and a psychological component of people interacting with others or in isolation.”
Deshpande graduated from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst with a BFA in Painting and continued her studies at the New York Academy of Art earning her MFA. She received the Ellen Battell Stoeckel Fellowship to attend the Yale Summer School of Music and Art in 2006. Deshpande has been recognition for her paintings by the Portrait Society of America, RayMar Art, Artist’s Magazine, the Art Renewal Center, Allied Artists of America, and Oil Painters of America. In 2018, she was awarded Signature Status from the Portrait Society of America. Her work has been written about in the book Contemporary Great Masters of Portrait Painting by the editorial staff of The Art of Watercolour and 21st Century Figurative Art: The Resurrection of Art by Jan Esmann.
In 2014, the New Britain Museum of American Art acquired her painting “Assembling the Pieces” for their Post Contemporary collection. She is represented by Arundel Contemporary in West Sussex, England. She also enjoys teaching classes and workshops from her studio and at the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey.
Stephanie Deshpande (b. 1975) is a representational painter living in northern New Jersey. She is best known for her psychological portraits and narrative paintings. Her work combines her love of realism with personal allegories.
Deshpande graduated from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst with a BFA in Painting and continued her studies at the New York Academy of Art earning her MFA. She received the Ellen Battell Stoeckel Fellowship to attend the Yale Summer School of Music and Art in 2006. Deshpande has been recognition for her paintings by the Portrait Society of America, RayMar Art, Artist’s Magazine, the Art Renewal Center, Allied Artists of America, and Oil Painters of America. In 2018, she was awarded Signature Status from the Portrait Society of America. Her work has been written about in the book Contemporary Great Masters of Portrait Painting by the editorial staff of The Art of Watercolour and 21st Century Figurative Art: The Resurrection of Art by Jan Esmann.
In 2014, the New Britain Museum of American Art acquired her painting “Assembling the Pieces” for their Post Contemporary collection. She is represented by Arundel Contemporary in West Sussex, England. She also enjoys teaching classes and workshops from her studio and at the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey.
Q&A
What role does your artwork have in society?
My artwork reflects contemporary values. As a female artist, I am representing the women I know the way I see them. This viewpoint may be different from how society viewed women in the past. It is also different from the sexualized way women are portrayed on social media or idealized in contemporary artwork. Growing up, I enjoyed playing in the woods near my house in Massachusetts. I spent a lot of time with my best friend riding bikes and exploring the neighborhoods and forests where I lived. In this painting, I depict people in nature in a truthful light. I tried to create an iconic image of today’s women —women who enjoy kayaking, rock climbing, hiking and are comfortable in their skin. I strove to represent the strength and authenticity of these women instead of conforming to an idealized feminine stereotype.
What concept or narrative is behind your work?
My painting was inspired by the depth and mystery of the dark river in the Adirondacks. My friends were enjoying a spontaneous dip in the water after a break from kayaking late in the summer of 2020. I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the trees casting ink-black shadows into the water as well as the rays of light illuminated some of what hid beneath the surface. I always love the concept of paintings with elements that are hidden by either shadow or the depth of the water. The concept of this painting was to depict strong, women being themselves and enjoying what nature has to offer. They were resisting the current of the river, and taking in all the wonders of life.
Do you ever venture out of your creative process to try out new things?
Yes, despite my long time love of painting people, I also enjoy working on spontaneous alla prima paintings of flowers and still lifes. I usually stick to using oil paint as my medium, but I try not to limit my subject matter. This spring I worked on a plein air painting of my garden. I am exploring ways to incorporate my love of nature with my fascination with people’s psychology.
Who is your art crush and why?
I have too many art crushes to list! However, I am particularly enamored by the genius of Zoey Frank’s art. I am amazed by the way her paintings are as vivid as a dream and as abstracted.