In her figurative and abstract paintings, Atlanta’s Paula Henderson examines social dynamics.
In one direction, her work explores how the impact of the beauty industry shapes women’s lives.
In another series, Henderson utilizes shoe patterns on the ground to explore ideas of shared space and social unity.
Artist: Born and grew up in the Boston area, Henderson was an aspiring artist from childhood. Her mother was a fashion illustrator. Her father, an interior designer. Both exposed her to art and design.
She earned a BFA in painting from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and an MFA at the University of Chicago.
Henderson taught part time at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago for 14 years before retiring and moving to Atlanta with her husband to focus on her art full time.
Studio: Is in the entire lower level floor of her home in Sandy Springs, in the Atlanta area.
Art & materials:
- Abstract and figurative paintings using oil and wax mediums ($4,000 to $10,000 for diptych/pairs).
- Acrylic paintings on paper ($500 to $4,000), including a recent collage series.
Inspirations: Teaching art history gave Henderson a great appreciation of both past and current art/artists, including:
- Buddhist and Hindu representations of powerful female deity figures.
- Rufino Tamayo of Mexico (1889-1991), who blended indigenous figuration with Western abstraction.
- Mark Bradford whose current work invests formal mid-century abstraction with African American cultural references.
Special commissions: A public art commission by the Chicago Transit Authority to create a mural in glass at The Chicago White Sox transit station titled “Game Changer.”
The mural pays tribute to The Negro League and the integration of Major League Baseball.
Honors: Had her work published and written about in the art book, “Common Practice: Basketball & Contemporary Art,” (Skira, 2021).
The illustrated publication, which features 250 artists, explores the relationship between basketball and contemporary art.
The publication led to a 2021 group exhibition “Home & Away” with a few of the artists featured in the book at the Miles McEnery Gallery, a contemporary art gallery in NYC.
What’s new: Included in the “Invisible Forces,” exhibition of 20 artists and their works on paper, at Johnson Lowe Gallery in Atlanta. Through September 14.
Where to buy:
- Johnson Lowe Gallery, Atlanta. (johnsonlowe.com)
- paulahendersonart.com
Get social:
- Instagram: @paulahenderson222
- Website: paulahendersonart.com
