Natalie Osborne received her BFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2002. The following year she accepted a position in Brooklyn, New York as a teaching artist for The Leadership Program Inc. where she taught painting in public schools in Brooklyn and in Harlem. While in New York, Natalie exhibited her paintings in group shows at Rush Arts Brooklyn Gallery. In 2009 she joined Aaron Marx in Toronto, ON to assist in the opening of Studio 561, a contemporary art gallery located in downtown Toronto at Bloor and Bathurst. “We literally lived in the gallery.” In 2011, Natalie returned to Chicago to work with the Downtown Arts Association in their effort to turn empty storefronts in the Loop into Pop Up galleries, working under curator Stuart Hall at Gallery 220 (220 S. Wabash Ave.) In 2014 she opened her online store, selling original paintings and prints. “My paintings are about the strength and purpose that illuminates from within every woman.”
Berry from Trial by Inspiration: I’ve found that as more and more artists share their work on platforms like Instagram and Pinterest, the more everything starts to look the same, and it’s hard to find unique voices in all the “trendy” visuals. Your work is so bold and distinctive, how did you develop your style?
Natalie Osborne @natalieodecor: As I am painting one piece, I always have the visual of the next painting in my mind. I can’t wait to finish the painting so I can start the next one. I think my style came along from painting only what I have visualized mentally. That’s half of the work, being able to see what you are going to paint before you paint it. Some of the ideas come out successfully, and some fail. I’ve learned what works and what doesn’t, based on that process.
The Chicago-born, Art Institute-trained artist draws inspiration from “graffiti, fashion and art history,” and most often depicts Black women in beautiful, striking portraits marked by vivid colors and bold lines.
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