Meet Elizabeth Waggett | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Elizabeth Waggett and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Elizabeth, what’s something about your industry that outsiders are probably unaware of?
There’s so much more to it than picking up a paint brush. On a good week, 10% of my time is spent creating new work. In order to have the freedom of that time, you have to coordinate with collectors, galleries and museums, shoot, develop and edit content, travel to my shows around the globe, manage multiple independent teams, oversee production and quality of every print, plan upcoming shows, and be the decision maker for absolutely everything in between.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m best known for large scale, monochromatic drawings, embellished with gold leaf. My subjects range from animals to personal objects, all imbued with special meaning from my travels. I’ve had solo shows in Los Angeles, London, Abu Dhabi, Miami, and New York and exhibited across the globe. My work has been collected by royalty and I’ve partnered with luxury brands like Saks and Soho House. What I’m most excited about right now though is my new series. It’s a departure from my previous style, but I think the thematic thread that connects them is visible. The new work is focused on intersectional feminism and environmentalism. It’s a conversation about how women and animals are viewed and spoken about. There’s a conversation about beauty and utility and love and anger and so much more that’s out of my hands once the brush is down. I love that and I think it will resonate with viewers. It’s helped further the work I’ve done in the past with the UN Lion’s Share and the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
That’s a tough one because Houston has so many hidden gems. I think the Menil Collection is a really special place. It’s tranquil and has some really outstanding work, plus the Cy Twombly Gallery and the Rothko Chapel are both right there as well. I’ve been shocked by how many incredible restaurants there are in Houston, Uchi and BCN are definitely at the top of the list. But Tex-Mex isn’t really a thing back home. So introducing someone to Ninfa’s or El Tiempo might be the way to go.
I also think everyone should see Buffalo Bayou. The bat colony at sunset is a surreal experience.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would say the students that I used to teach. As adults, we have a tendency to lose that magic of life, the feeling that anything is possible. I always told them to hold onto that, and at some point, it became a lesson I had to learn from them myself. So they played a huge role in inspiring me to take the first steps.

Website: www.elizabethwaggett.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elizabeth_waggett/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-waggett-3688741aa/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ElizabethWaggett/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel