lesa stephens

I earned my Bachelor's in Fine Arts from Laguna College of Art and Design, magnum cum laude in 2004 and my Doctorate in Fine Arts from the New York Academy of Figurative Art, summa cum laude in 2010. As a graduate student, I was awarded a full Chevrolet Service Presentation in Normandy, France. Upon graduating from the New York Academy of Figurative Art, I received a third-year fellowship grant, deemed the Academy's highest honor. As a fellow, I created paintings exploring female form as a metaphor for spirituality. This work brought out my innate desire to uplift the ethos of the female body from mere carnal associations to a more inclusive conception of what women are. I continue to paint in the humanist tradition, exploring our relationship to each other, and existence.