BIO

Julie Pawlowski (b. 1977) is an LA-based interdisciplinary artist whose work explores the beauty and complexities of relationships within social and urban landscapes. Her work is informed by her daily commutes and incorporates analog and digital photography as well as collage, oil, and watercolor. The importance of documentation and the transformative power of storytelling are recurring themes evident throughout her various bodies of work. Julie’s paintings serve as a continuation in the process of studying the abstract beauty found within these societies. Since 1999, Julie’s work has been exhibited internationally including China and the United States in both solo and group exhibitions.

HER STORY

Some of my fondest memories as a child include rifling through photo albums curated by my grandparents. My grandma documented personal travels and family events in albums with each image carefully labelled in her handwritten script.  Equally captivating was the photo album left by my late grandfather. I often found myself sitting for hours reading into each black and white WWII image he’d so bravely captured and brought home from his time as a soldier in Germany. I longed to see what he witnessed and felt a deep connection to this grandfather whom I’d never be able to meet. From an early age, I was learning photography’s role in documenting family and world history. I was also experiencing how an image can create a human connection spanning time and place.

Gifted my grandfather’s camera in high school, I started my journey into discovering the magic behind capturing light and documenting the stories of those around me. Painting quickly became an extension to my artistic process allowing me to reference my photographic images and build upon the emotion and stories captured and felt.