Lesley Thiel is an international award winning, figurative artist known for her highly detailed surrealistic and photorealistic paintings. Working in oils, she focuses on highly symbolic narrative pieces designed to tell a story of our relationship with the earth and the future of our species. She seeks to impress upon the viewer the interconnectedness between humanity and the natural world, whilst also trying to describe the multilayered complexity of our environment. Her paintings centre around young women as natural beings, and the female voice in society.
Lesley’s work has been included in numerous exhibitions, including at the Museum of Modern European Art (MEAM), in Barcelona; Bantierra Palace, Zarazoga; Einaudi Palace, Turin; Sotheby’s, New York; Wassau Museum of Contemporary Art; The Mall Galleries, London; The Salmagundi Club, New York; Zhou B Art Center, Chicago. Her work has been sold at auction at Sotheby’s in New York. She has been in receipt of awards from the Art Renewal Center, International Guild Of Realism, Portrait Society of America, and International Artist Magazine. Her work is part of both the Art Renewal Center Collection and the Bennett Collection of Women Artists. Born in England, she now lives and works in Ireland.
"Lesley gives us a piece of existence, of hope, of dreams, of desires – all encapsulated in her art work. Intrinsically stating the obvious that is commonly mistaken for acceptance and normality. Her art has the power to devour you with an insatiable hunger, with a need to recognize the purest form of human existence, the call for truth, for innocence, to revert to that state of mind where all was fine, all was good, all was perfect…because you knew no better. But it’s a better that can be achieved with a collective attitude of care, of hope, and of love. Lesley’s art works penetrate your subconscious knowingness, distracting your current reality, throwing you back to what you and I want. To bring out the child within, with no restrictions or inhibitions, with no ill intentions, with the purity only a child can contain." Artmoire
Collections
Fred and Kara Ross (Art Renewal Center)
The Bennett Collection
Awards
Finalist, Beautiful Bizarre Art Award 2024 for 'Luna'
Finalist, Beautiful Bizarre Art Award 2023 for 'Faith'
Chairman's Choice Award, Art Renewal Center 15th Annual Salon 2020 for 'Gloriana'
Best Figurative Painting, International Guild of Realism 15th Annual Salon 2020 for 'After The Fall'
Winner of Future Art Award from Mozaik Philanthropy for 'Hope'
Winner of ARC Purchase Award and Honorable Mention in Figurative Category 2019 for 'Honey'
Winner of International Artist Magazine Grand Prize 2019 for 'Honey'
Winner of an ARC Staff Award in the ARC Salon 2018 for 'Bird In The Hand'
'August' was awarded a Certificate of Excellence by the Portrait Society of America in 2015
Publications
The Science of Poetical Portraiture: An Interview with Lesley Thiel
American Art Collector, 'Three Voices', Issue 225, 2024
Beautiful Bizarre Magazine, 'Women Will Save The World', Issue 43, 2023
Beautiful Bizarre Magazine, Issue 42, 2023
International Realism, Art Renewal Center, Volumes 13 to 16, 2019 to 2023
Masterpieces Volume 1, The Guide Artist Publishing, June, 2022
The Guide Artist, March, 2022
ModPortrait 2021, April, 2022
ModPortrait 2020, April, 2021
Realism Today February 18th 2020
Artelibre - Arte Y Libertad XIV, 2019
'The Haunted Fairytale Of Lesley Thiel's Art', Hyperrealism Magazine Issue 9, December, 2019
'Relating To Nature', American Art Collector Magazine, November, 2019
'Lesley Thiel', Hyperrealism Magazine, Issue 8, September, 2019
International Artist Magazine August/September, 2019
Artmoire, August, 2019 (read the interview)
'Uninterrupted', American Art Collector Magazine, July, 2019
'Strokes Of Brilliance', American Art Collector Magazine, April, 2019
'12 Contemporary Women Artists', American Art Collector, March, 2019
'The Book Of The Horse: Horses In Art' Caroline Roberts and Angus Hyland, 2018
'50 Great Figurative Artworks 2017', PoetsArtists Magazine in their issue 89, curated by Steven DaLuz, 2018
PoetsArtists Magazine issue 91. 'Visions Of Venus', 2018
The Guide Artist cover article, January 2018
Select Exhibitions
'Paracosmic Escape' Modern Eden Gallery, San Francisco, California, USA 9 November - 5 December, 2024
'Woman' James Baird Gallery, Pouch Cove, Newfoundland, Canada 24 September - 1 November, 2024
'Rx' Quirky Fox, Taranaki, New Zealand 21 July - 12 October, 2024
'Three Voices' RJD Gallery, Romeo, Michigan, USA 1 July - 5 August, 2024
'Contemporary Discoveries' Exhibition and auction Sotheby's New York 23 September - 3 October, 2022
'ModPortrait 2021'
Sala Arte Roma, Zaragoza, Spain
6 April, 2022
MEAM Museum, Barcelona, Spain
1 July, 2022
'Great Painters Of International Realism in 20 x 20'
Einaudi Palace, Chivasso (Turin), Italy
4 December, 2021 - 10 January, 2022
'Art Renewal Centre 15th International Salon'
Sotheby's, New York, USA
16 July - 26 July, 2021
European Museum Of Modern Art, Barcelona, Spain
8 October - 12 December, 2021
'ModPortrait 2020'
Bantierra Palace, Zarazoga, Spain
16 April - 11 June, 2021
European Museum Of Modern Art, Barcelona, Spain
18 June - 22 August, 2021
'Women Painting'
European Museum Of Modern Art, Barcelona, Spain
8 March - 14 June, 2021
'Animalia'
Haven Gallery, Newport, New York, USA
8 March - 14 June, 2021
'Neoclassicism'
Haven Gallery, Newport, New York, USA
24 October - 28 November, 2020
International Guild Of Realism Annual Exhibition
Principle Gallery, Charleston, USA
3 October - 31 October, 2020
Future Art Awards
Mozaik Philanthropy
30 June, 2020
14th ARC International Salon Exhibition
European Museum Of Modern Art, Barcelona, Spain
6 December, 2019- 2 February, 2020
Sotheby's, NYC
17 July - 27th July, 2020
'Uninterrupted'
RJD Gallery
Bridgehampton, NY
27 July - 19 August, 2019
'20 Years, in 20 x 20'
Sala Bantierra, Zaragoza, Spain
8 March - 5 April, 2019
European Museum Of Modern Art, Barcelona, Spain
12 July - 1 September, 2019
'Spring Ahead'
RJD Gallery
Bridgehampton, NY
9 March - 4 April, 2019
Women Painting Women | Men Painting Men
RJD Gallery
Bridgehampton, NY
6 - 30 October, 2018
13th ARC International Salon Exhibition
Salmagundi Club, New York City,
21 September - 2 October 2018
Sotheby's, Los Angeles
6th November - 20th December
European Museum Of Modern Art, Barcelona, Spain
8th February - 31st March
'Painting The Figure Now'
Wausau Museum Of Contemporary Art
Wausau, WI
7 July - 28 September, 2018
Hamptons Juried Art Show
RJD Gallery
Bridgehampton NY
19 May - 3 June, 2018
'Visions Of Venus/Venus Visions'
Zhou B Art Center
Chicago
20 April - 8 June, 2018
Women Painting Group Exhibition
Dacia Gallery
New York City
Belgravia Gallery
Two woman show with Susan Swartz
Albemarle Street, Mayfair
London
7 October - 28 October, 2013
Frost and Reed
King Street, St. James's
London
16 September - 20 October, 2010
Art Culture
Two woman exhibition together with Penny Warden, figurative artist.
Art Culture, Marlow
19 May - 21 May, 2006
Art Culture
One woman show of 26 originals.
Art Culture, Marlow
3 March - 5 March, 2006