Phoebe Derlee

Phoebe Derlee uses bold, decisive brushstrokes to create paintings that are both intimate and emotionally distanced, often using herself as the subject. Her figures frequently appear isolated against vivid, monochromatic backgrounds, with her works ranging from small to large-scale canvases. Derlee consistently engages with the human form and the ways it can be reimagined or reconfigured.

Pursuing poetic moments, Derlee’s paintings are at once powerful and tender, imbued with a sense of both familiarity and estrangement. Her style is characterized by loose brushwork, a rough rendering approach, and energetic, fluid mark-making. Her use of fluid oil paint allows for gestures that are both forceful and delicate, creating a striking visual impact. Each brushstroke’s beginning and end remains visible, producing sharp, deliberate moments that emphasize the physicality and immediacy of her process.

The colors she employs are not intended to represent reality but instead serve to convey her interpretation of what is needed to transform a scene into a painting. Often portraying her subjects in ordinary, familiar settings, Derlee strips them of narrative and sentimentality, thereby exposing how appearances are constructed and presented.