Education

MFA in painting, Hunter College, NYC
BA in Visual and Environmental Studies, Harvard University

About the work
I approach every new painting as a unique challenge and a discovery process.

My paintings come from instinct and intuition, and my contact with the canvas is responsive, like a conversation, telling and listening.

Willem De Kooning thought about the content of his abstract paintings as a glimpse of something, an encounter or a flash, where the glimpse of something small is what becomes the starting idea for the painting.

This is how I think of my paintings as well. The paintings go through many changes, hundreds of micro-decisions, revisions, additions, overlays, etc. as I work. I believe in taking chances with the work and not being afraid of ruining the initial layers.

The work consists of a combination of painting and printmaking. I use hand-made printmaking tools to print my designs onto very thin Japanese paper, and then collage the paper in layers interspersed with pools of acrylic paint.
 
Although much of my work is nature-based and landscape inspired, I rarely use specific imagery to make my paintings. Instead my work is a reflection of what I've experienced and observed and I make a point to observe unusual juxtapositions. Most of my imagery comes from drawings that I've made. The drawings are abstract and I draw quickly to encourage a feeling of movement.

My work is also influenced by living in Japan as a child and experiencing the Japanese tradition of wabi-sabi, which is defined by impermanence, imperfection, visual economy and intimacy.

While painting, I participate in a delicate balancing act between creating something complete and ordered, with leaving just enough imbalance and disorder to allow for movement, rhythm and ambiguous transitions as the painting comes to completion.

About the artist
Laura Fayer is a painter living and working in New York City. She is a recipient of a grant from the Pollock-Krasner Foundation and has exhibited in galleries nationally and internationally for more than 20 years. She was awarded grants from International Residencies for Artists and the Massachusetts Cultural Council for a fellowship to live and work for two months at Triangle France in Marseille. She has also been a fellow at the MacDowell Colony, Yaddo and the Bemis Center for Contemporary Art and has travelled in South America, Asia and Africa.

Fayer’s work is in many corporate and public collections, including Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, MGM Mirage and the Bellagio in Las Vegas, Ritz Carltons in Atlanta and Shenzhen, China, and the US Embassy in Djibouti. 

Fayer is the daughter of an Economics professor whose specialty was Japan. Her family, including her parents and six siblings, lived in Tokyo for a few years. On trips home to the US, travel included the Trans-Siberian railroad and an oceanliner from Yokohama to Russia.  Her work is deeply influenced by those early years in Japan.

Fayer is a graduate of Harvard University in Visual and Environmental Studies and holds an MFA in painting from Hunter College in New York City.

Solo and 2-person shows
Lanoue Gallery: Infinite Islands, solo exhibition, Boston, MA (2023)
Lanoue Gallery, solo exhibition, Boston, MA (2020)
Dream Logic, Kathryn Markel Fine Arts, New York City (2019)
450 Park Ave, Curated by Jay Grimm, New York City, NY (2019)
Fluid Terrain, Flinn Gallery, Greenwich, CT (2019)
Kathryn Markel Fine Arts, New York, NY (2017)
Ruth Bachofner Gallery, Santa Monica, CA (2015)
Bryant Street Gallery, Palo Alto, CA (2014)
Ruth Bachofner Gallery, Santa Monica, CA (2013)
Thomas Robertello Gallery, Chicago (2012)
Kathryn Markel Fine Arts, Bridgehampton, NY (2011)
Thomas Robertello Gallery, Chicago (2009)
Kathryn Markel Fine Arts, NYC (2008)
Thomas Robertello Gallery, Chicago (2007)
JET Artworks, Washingon DC (2005)
Realform Project Space, NYC (2004)
Wheeler Gallery, Providence RI (2003)
Ute Stebich Gallery, Lenox MA (2002 and 1999)
Lenore Gray Gallery, Providence RI (2002)
Galerie du Tableau, Marseille France (2000)

Group Shows
My One and Only, Monoprint Show, Mason Fine Art, Atlanta, GA (2017)
What's New, What's Next, New York Design Center, New York, NY (2015)
Plus One Plus One, LABSpace, Hillsdale, NY (2015)
I Catch the Pattern, Langston Hughes Community Center, Corona, NY (2015)
Satellite, A Pop-Up Show curated by Chandra Cerrito, NYC (2015)
Local Color, Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning, NYC (2014)
Art In Embassies Permanent Exhibition, US Embassy in Djibouti (2011)
Informal Relations, Indianapolis Museum of Contemporary Art, curated by Scott Grow (2010)
Source, The Halls at CCNY, NY, NY curated by Susan Ross and Melissa Staiger (2010)
Fresh stART, Los Angeles, CA curated by Tiffiny Lendrum (2010)
Glo(ball), Renaissance Society of Chicago Benefit Auction (2009)
Benefit for Nicole: A Postcard Show, Priska Juschka Gallery, NYC (2009)
Santa Fe Art Fair, Thomas Robertello Gallery Booth (2009)
At Last, Ken Jones Jr. Fine Art, Easton PA (2009)
A Lot of Possibilities, Winter Space, NYC (2009)
Unpainted-Abstraction, Thomas Robertello Gallery, Chicago (2008)
Boston Color, Markel Fine Arts (2008)
Duopolis, Chandra Cerrito Contemporary, Oakland CA (2007)
Introductions, Thomas Robertello Gallery, Chicago (2006)
Hunter College MFA Thesis Show (2006)
tART Spring Salon Show, hosted by Yael Reinharz of Creative Time, NYC (2006)
Spring Exhibition, Fresh Paint, Los Angeles (2006)
Lucky Sevens, Bemis Center for Contemporary Art, Omaha (2006)
L Street Fine Art, San Diego (2005)
Presentations, Edward Thorp Gallery, NYC (2005)
New Directions, Ameringer Yohe Fine Art, Boca Raton (2003)
Boston Drawing Project, Boston (2002)
Grant Winners, Somerville Museum, Somerville MA (2001)
Betty Wasserman Fine Art, NYC (2001)
Kelly Barrette Fine Art, Boston (2001)
New Art, MPG, Boston (2001)
Connected, Gensler, Los Angeles (2000)
Brightworld, La Friche Gallery, Marseille (1999)
DNA Gallery, Provincetown (1996)

Selected Collections
Grand Hyatt Kauai, Hawaii
US Embassy in Djibouti
Pfizer 
Star City Resort, Sydney, Australia
US Embassy in Costa Rica
W Hotel
Mintz, Levin
Sheraton
Disneyworld
Bellagio
Westin Hotels
Hilton Hotels
Crescent Court Hotel (Dallas) - a Rosewood Hotel
Boca Raton Resort and Club
Grand Hyatt (San Antonio) - 4-color litho for each of 550 guest rooms
MGM Mirage City Center
The Borgata (Atlantic City)
Ritz Carlton (Atlanta, Shenzhen, and Laguna Niguel)
Algonquin Hotel, NYC
Mastro's Ocean Club, Crystals, City Center (Las Vegas)

CommissionsHyatt Hotel, Americas Suites, NYC, one painting and two prints
Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort - large-scale 9-painting commission
Westin Hotel in Philadelphia - 2 paintings for lobby
Bellagio in Las Vegas- 8 works on paper for Lakeview Suites
Sheraton Fisherman's Wharf Hotel in San Francisco - 4 paintings for conference rooms
Clearwater Hilton - large painting for public space
The Borgata, Atlantic City - 2 paintings
The Ritz Carlton in Atlanta, 2 paintings
The Ritz Carlton in Shenzhen, China, 1 painting

Reviews and Publications
New American Paintings Blog (May 2012) "Must See Painting Shows" by Steven ZevitasNew City Art (Chicago) (2009) by Jaime Calder
East Bay Express (Oakland) (2007) by Jakki Spicer
Westword (Denver) (2007) by Michael Paglia
Rocky Mountain News (2007)
Chicago Tribune (2007) by Alan Artner
Flavorpill Chicago (2007)
UR Magazine, Chicago (2007)
Arnet.com (2004) by Steven Maine
Disney Vacation Club Community News (2004)
The Saratogian (2004)
Seneca Review (2003)
Providence Journal (2003)
Art New England (2003)
Boston Herald (1999)
Cambridge Chronicle (1999)
New American Paintings (1998)
The Cambridge TAB (1998)
Boston Phoenix (1997)
Boston Bar Journal (1996)