michelle amatrula

Michele Amatrula has a voice and vision unique amongst contemporary photorealist painters. Using skills honed during decades as a leading professional illustrator, she depicts small glimpses of unexpected beauty in everyday life. Her work stands out for both its unexpected subject matter and exquisite portrayal of light and shadow. Amatrula embraces wear and tear, melancholy moments, and faded glory. In her capable hands, vintage bottle caps take on the evocative luster of the Dutch Masters; tattooed limbs reveal more truth than a conventional portrait; and antique household objects evoke nostalgia for a simpler time--even as they recall the complex lives of their owners. Informed by the past, Amatrula’s precise paintings celebrate the perfect imprecision of the present and remind us of the possibility of a joyful future. 

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Michele Amatrula holds a BFA from the Parsons School of Design and has received numerous awards from organizations including the Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club, the Portrait Society of America, and the Bosque Conservatory of Art. She lives in New York City’s Washington Heights neighborhood with her family.