Shona McAndrew

Shona McAndrew's painted papier-mâché sculptures, installations, and paintings capture women in the midst of their private contemplations, capturing the ordinary yet deeply personal moments that permeate our daily lives. Often life-size, her work draws inspiration from personal experiences and keen observations, underscoring the paradoxical blend of the ordinary and profound to call attention to fleeting, introspective, and vulnerable moments.

Guided by her own journey as a plus-size woman and her battles with body dysmorphia and society's expectations of womanhood, McAndrew fearlessly portrays her female subjects—often her friends—in sincere and intimate moments, uninhibited by their exposed bodies and seemingly oblivious to the viewer's casual voyeurism, her women beckon us to celebrate the act of exploring our bodies and to liberate ourselves from the critical gaze of others. Through intimate portraits sourced from her personal life or social media, her paintings turn inward, presenting works of herself and her partner luxuriating in moments of repose and undress.

Within McAndrew’s settings, women are depicted with a profound sense of self-assurance in their individual identities, physical forms, and surroundings. Drawing inspiration from her personal journey as a plus-size woman, McAndrew fearlessly presents the viewer with portrayals of women's intimate inner experiences, intentionally challenging established conventions surrounding notions of beauty and expected conduct for women.

Born and raised in Paris, France, Shona McAndrew moved to the US to obtain her Bachelor's degree in Psychology and Fine Arts at Brandeis University. She furthered her studies with a Masters in Fine Arts at the Rhode Island School of Design. She currently lives and works in Philadelphia, PA. McAndrew has exhibited her work across the US and Europe. Recent solo and group exhibitions include Untitled Art Fair, CHART, Miami (2023); Framing The Female Gaze, Lehman College Art Gallery, New York (2023); Volupté, Blouin Division, Montreal (2023); Bellyache, CHART, New York (2023); Snakes in the Grass, Newchild, Antwerp (2023); Rose-Tinted Glasses, CHART, New York (2023, solo); Inner Matter, Galerie LJ, Paris (2023); Intersect Aspen, Aspen, CO (2022); Domesticity, Nassima Landau, Tel Aviv (2022); We Are Family, New York Academy of Art, New York (2022); Just the three of us, Art Omi, Ghent (2021, solo); Haven, CHART, New York (2021, solo); Wednesday Night, The Abroms-Engel Institute of the Visual Arts at UAB, Birmingham (2021, solo); Bad Girls, wallspaceplease, Dubai (2021); FLESH, Newchild, Antwerp (2021); This is America, Kunstraum Potsdam, Potsdam (2021); Horses?, CHART, New York (2021); The Skin I Live In, Lyles & King, New York (2021); Contemporary Domesticity, Taymour Grahne Projects, London (2021). The artist currently lives and works in Philadelphia, PA.

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS:

2023 / Rose-Tinted Glasses, CHART, New York

2021 / Just The Three Of Us, Art Omi, Ghent, US