ABOUT

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BIOGRAPHY   Denise Laurin’s work often centers around the dancer to express the universal movement from darkness into light and the physical into the non-material. So that her interpretation would emanate from personal understanding, Denise studied dance throughout her life. She works in oil, pastel, graphite and charcoal, gold leaf and collage.

 

In 2023, Denise studied oil painting and gilding with Brad Kunkle. At the New York Academy of Art, Denise studied anatomy and painting with figurative artist Peter Cox. With contemporary realist David Kassan, she studied charcoal portraiture, and she studied semi-privately for six years with Grace Cole. All of these realist figurative oil painters have played an instrumental role in her technical development.

She holds a B.A. in Art and Art History and an M.A. in Art History from Northern Illinois University. Before launching her fine art career, Denise owned a graphic design firm and was named Woman of the Year by Women in Design/ Chicago. 

 

Exhibitions include the Fine Arts Building, the Chicago Cultural Center, and other regional locations. Between 2009-2014, she lived in New York City, where she led a group show under the auspices of MoMA.

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Denise is a mentor and speaker for Self Employment in the Arts, holds an advanced speaker certificate from Toastmasters, International, and is a member of the National Portrait Society.