ANTHONY CUDAHY
b. 1989, United StatesAnthony Cudahy is an American contemporary artist celebrated for luminous figurative paintings that weave together queer archives, art history, and autobiography, creating poetic scenes of intimacy, memory, and everyday life. Cudahy’s evocative works have been shown in major exhibitions in the United States and Europe and are held in prominent museum collections.
Early Years
Cudahy was born in Fort Myers, Florida, in 1989. His upbringing in hurricane-prone Florida, surrounded by lush natural light and flora, continues to inform the atmosphere and palette of his paintings. He earned a BFA from Pratt Institute, New York, in 2011, and an MFA from Hunter College, New York, in 2020. Cudahy lives and works in Brooklyn, New York, with his husband, photographer Ian Lewandowski.
Anthony Cudahy Artworks
Anthony Cudahy’s contemporary art practice centres on figurative painting and drawing, drawing imagery from personal photographs, queer archives, art history, and film stills to explore themes of queer identity, tenderness, and the passage of time. His paintings are known for their glowing colours, fluid brushwork, and layered compositions that blur the line between reality and dream.
Narrative Painting and Queer Archives
Cudahy often begins his artworks by collaging and sketching from photo references, including vernacular queer archives and family photographs—most notably those of his great uncle Kenny Gardner, archived by Lewandowski. These sources inform paintings such as Spinneret (2024), a survey exhibition at the Ogunquit Museum of American Art and the Green Family Art Foundation, which explored the weaving of personal and collective memory through enigmatic scenes and interwoven references.
Intimacy, Everyday Life, and Art Historical Dialogue
Cudahy’s paintings frequently depict moments of quiet intimacy—friends reading, partners sleeping, figures in conversation—rendered in phosphorescent hues and atmospheric light. He draws on art historical influences from Pieter Bruegel the Elder to Francis Bacon, as well as queer artists like Derek Jarman. His works, such as Lily and mirror with Apocalypse Tapestry (2022) and Jarman in Dungeness (2022), merge contemporary life with echoes of the past.
Colour, Technique, and Emotional Resonance
Cudahy’s distinctive use of colour—ranging from muted earth tones to high-key, artificial hues—animates the interplay between the real and surreal in his practice. He employs a variety of techniques, from fluid brushwork to impasto and delicate mark-making, to create paintings and coloured pencil drawings that invite viewers into layered, introspective worlds.
Awards and Accolades
- Artsy Vanguard Artist (2022)
- Work held in collections including Baltimore Museum of Art, Institute of Contemporary Art Miami, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, Dallas Museum of Art, and Speed Art Museum.
Exhibitions
Anthony Cudahy has been the subject of both solo and group exhibitions at important institutions. Below is a selection of important exhibitions.
Solo Exhibitions
- Spinneret, Ogunquit Museum of American Art, Maine; Green Family Art Foundation, Dallas (2024–2025)
- Like Night Needs Morning, CAP Centre d’arte de Saint-Fons, France (2024)
- Fool’s Errand, GRIMM, New York (2024)
- Fool’s Gold, Hales Gallery, New York (2024)
- Conversation, Musée des Beaux-Arts de Dole, France (2023)
- Double Spar, GRIMM Gallery, London; Hales Gallery, London (2022)
Group Exhibitions
- Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami (2022)
- Equal Affections, GRIMM, Amsterdam (2021)
- FLAG Art Foundation, New York (2021)
Website and Instagram
Anthony Cudahy’s Instagram can be found here: @anthonycudahy
More Reading
Cudahy’s practice has been featured in leading magazines, including Artforum, Juxtapoz, T Magazine, The Paris Review, and Ocula.
Anthony Cudahy FAQs
What themes does Anthony Cudahy explore in his art?
Cudahy’s artworks address queer identity, intimacy, memory, and the interplay between personal and collective history, often referencing queer archives and art history.
How does Cudahy create his paintings?
He begins with collages and sketches from photo references, then develops compositions through colour, mark-making, and layered painting techniques, resulting in evocative, narrative scenes.
Who appears in Anthony Cudahy’s paintings?
Subjects include his husband Ian Lewandowski, friends, figures from queer history, and sometimes art historical or literary characters.
How do I pronounce ‘Cudahy’?
Cudahy is pronounced ‘KUD-da-hay’.
Where can I see Anthony Cudahy’s work?
Cudahy’s art is held in the collections of the Baltimore Museum of Art (Baltimore), Institute of Contemporary Art Miami (Miami), Stedelijk Museum (Amsterdam), Dallas Museum of Art (Dallas), and Speed Art Museum (Louisville), and is represented by GRIMM Gallery (Amsterdam, London, New York), Hales Gallery (London, New York), and Semiose (Paris).
What is the significance of the exhibition ‘Spinneret’?
Spinneret is a major survey of Cudahy’s work, organised by the Ogunquit Museum of American Art and travelling to the Green Family Art Foundation, exploring how memory, archives, and queer history are woven together in his practice.
Annabel Downes | Ocula | 2025
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