Today we’d like to introduce you to Aurora Abzug

Hi Aurora, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?

I’ve been painting for as long as I could hold a brush, and began formal training in observational oil painting at age eleven. I decided against going to art school, and opted to get a liberal arts degree from Bard College just to keep my options open, but decided shortly into my time at Bard that my heart was in painting and that I wanted to pursue fine art academically. After graduation, I felt unmoored and frustrated with my prospects. I had no trouble showing my work in group exhibitions, but it didn’t seem like I was making solid connections or advancing my career. In fact, much of my day was spent at various food service jobs, feeling as though my degree and my field had failed me. In a way I was saved by the pandemic, which forced me out of my jobs and into lockdown shortly before I was due to embark on my first artist residency. Especially frustrated and at a financial loss, I funneled all my time and energy into commissions, built up my following, and finally started to make virtual connections by showing online. By the time lockdown ended, I had doubled down and felt surer than ever of my path forward. I applied for a job at an art gallery which became the first of many positions I would hold in the field, and began to learn about the art world from a professional perspective. I finally circled back to the artist residency, and started attending openings and making artist friends, all of which generated creative community and exponential opportunities, from gallery representation to my first art fairs. My journey has been slow, and the result of many years of practice and refinement, but patience and fortitude have paid off, as have my investments in both myself and my friendships.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?

I’m so incredibly fortunate to have a deeply supportive family, and privileged to have the resources to pursue an art-centric life. However, I am still in a position in which I need a “day-job” to sustain myself and my artistic practice. The chunk my 9-5 takes out of my studio time is an obstacle for me, as it is for many artists. However, it has made me better at managing my time and my expectations of myself. Another obstacle I have faced since the beginning is subtle but persistent self doubt, which has occasionally been reinforced by instructors, curators, gallerists, and a few sad times by people I am in close personal relationships with. These instances have challenged my resolve and my self esteem, and although they are always painful, I have surmounted them every time with stronger self possession.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?

I like to think that if my name rings a bell, a painting of a stuffed animal or a decoratively iced cake comes to mind. I’m most proud of my paintings that resonate with children, as well as adults who wish to nurture their inner child. I had a really touching experience recently in which my sister posted my work on a subreddit for stuffed animal collectors. Many members of this forum were very young people, and many others were adults dedicated to infusing their lives with nostalgic whimsey. When I noticed a new influx of social media followers and discovered my sister’s post, I was floored by the incredibly kind and affirmative messages about my work. I’d never seen such a positive and uplifting comments section, and had seldom received such praise from fine art institutions. That experience solidified my desire to make art for people who wish to have an emotional experience with my work, more than for the art market or institutions.

Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?

So many books have been so foundational! I read Art/Work by Heather Darcy Bhandari in college, right as I was getting serious about painting, and the book helped me with lots of the nuts and bolts of setting up my studio practice and angling towards success. Life? or Theater? by Charlotte Salomon was such a pivotal book for me. It’s a work of art in and of itself and inspired me to think critically about how I make art and why. The Mirror and the Palette by Jennifer Higgie, Seeing Ourselves by Frances Borzello, The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron, and The Creative Act by Rick Rubin were all also profoundly helpful for my creative path.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://auroraabzug.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/auroraabzug?igsh=czZic29kcHZpNDJn