Emma Stern's work fuses traditional oil painting techniques with contemporary digital practices. With a formal background in classical figure painting, Stern skilfully employs 3D software to create striking virtual female avatars, transforming her subjects into powerful explorations of identity, representation, and the complexities of the female experience in digital culture. Her art critiques and reflects on the prevalent portrayals of women in gaming and 3D communities, highlighting the complex interplay between empowerment and objectification. Often depicted as pirates on jet skis or cowgirls on desolate highways, her avatars encapsulate a unique blend of humour and vulnerability, challenging viewers to reconsider their perceptions of femininity and agency. By integrating classical techniques with contemporary digital mediums, Emma Stern offers a thought-provoking glimpse into the future of portraiture, compelling viewers to confront the evolving dynamics of identity in the 21st century.
Read MoreEmma Stern (b. 1992, New York) received her B.F.A. from Pratt Institute, Brooklyn in 2014. Her work was showcased at prestigious art fairs, including Frieze and Art Basel. Stern's selected solo exhibitions include_Everything Looks Like a Nail (To_ A Hammer), Pond Society, Shanghai (2024); Penny & The Dimes: Dimes 4Evr World Tour, Almine Rech, London (2023); Booty!, Half Gallery, New York (2022); Desert Pearl, Marfa Invitational, Texas (2022);Home Bodies, Carl Kostyál, Stockholm (2021). Among her group exhibitions are J'ai pleuré devant la fin d'un manga, Galerie Édouard-Manet, Paris (2024); Everybody Is a Complete Disappointment, New Galerie, Paris (2023); Real Fake Door, Arsenal Contemporary Art (Curator: Oli Epp), New York (2023); The House of Pain, New Galerie, Paris (2023) and Cautere, FRAC Corsica, Corte (2022). Emma Stern lives and works in Brooklyn.
Text courtesy Dirimart.
