Liz Alderman “PRETTY HAMMERS”

Birds are the visual subject matter of choice for Brooklyn-based artist Liz Alderman. Their shapes, colors and expressivity are the perfect fodder for the artist to exult in the materiality of paint. Her nearly sculptural canvases feature layers and layers of bright paint, glitter, feathers and more, all mixed in with items of detritus from daily life - everything from dryer lint to broken jewelry. In an age of endlessly scrolling social media images, Liz’s unique textural style must be seen (and touched, as viewers are invited to do) in person to be truly comprehended. Each bird she creates has a name, a backstory and a complicated psychological profile and all are weirdly relatable. 

Since receiving her Fine Arts degree from Harvard University in 1997, Liz has exhibited widely and received many awards and accolades. Her work is prized and admired by collectors, and found everywhere from private collections to public murals. 

Fun fact: Liz and curator Dan Bailey first met in the summer of 1992, as American exchange students studying painting at the Royal College of Art in London. 

During the winter of 2023-2024, accompanied by her ever-present canine companion Fozzy, Liz flew south to Birmingham as the 2nd ever artist-in-residence at The Old Bailey Gallery. Her solo exhibition Pretty Hammers included paintings inspired by the Alabama state bird, the Yellowhammer. 

https://www.lizalderman.com/