LYDIA MARIA PFEFFER

Lydia Maria Pfeffer mines a cross section of psychological strategies, cultural symbolism, rites, and rituals as she draws and paints worlds in which escapism is revelation and queerness is a healing journey. Anthropomorphism, gender play, and eroticism abound amidst a morphing cast of Pfeffer’s stylish characters inspired by the fables, folk tales, and mythologies of her youth. At the core of every painting is a basic desire for love and belonging—Pfeffer pulls her figures from the ether, creating safe spaces for them to tell their tales, process their traumas, and heal.

Pfeffer (b. 1976, Austria) received her BFA from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York and her MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Pfeffer’s work has been exhibited internationally at venues including Galerie Droste in Paris, France and Wuppertal, Germany; Brand Library & Art Center in Glendale, CA; Club Pro, New Image Art Gallery, and OCHI in Los Angeles; and Center on Halstead, Chicago, IL. Pfeffer’s work has been featured in publications including AUTRE, Hyperallergic, Los Angeles Times, Flaunt Magazine, Paper City Magazine, Amadeus, Full Blede, and Fabrik. Pfeffer currently lives and works in Brooklyn, NY.

Featured Works

CV

LYDIA MARIA PFEFFER

Born 1976 in Austria

Lives and works in Brooklyn, NY

EDUCATION

2016

MFA Painting, School of the Art Institute Chicago, Chicago, IL

2013

BFA, Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, NY

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2025

Solo Show, OCHI, Los Angeles, CA (forthcoming)

2023

Love Magic, Galerie Droste, Paris, France

2022

Lily of the Valley, OCHI, Los Angeles, CA

2021

Wild Heart, Galerie Droste, Paris, France

2019

Venus in Pisces, OCHI, Los Angeles, CA

2018

Shapeshifter, Club Pro, Los Angeles, CA

2016

Candy Tales of Blows and Kisses, Center on Halsted, Chicago, IL

2010

Folk- and Fairytales, La Barra Broome Street, New York, NY

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2023

Chronicles 7, Gallery Droste at KPM Berlin, Germany
Point de Vue, COPYRIGHT Berlin, Berlin, Germany

2022

Nightshift Delights, Gallery X Chiao, Taipei, Taiwan
Somebody, Nobody, Anybody, Marquee Projects, Bellport, NY
Grand Opening, Galerie Droste, Paris, France

2021

Expanded Field, OCHI, Los Angeles, CA
Chronicles 3, Galerie Droste, Berlin, Germany
See Saw, These Days, Los Angeles, CA
Garden, Ladies’ Room, Los Angeles, CA
Humans, Deli Grocery, New York, NY

2020

Four x Five, Dallas Art Fair, presented by Galerie Droste, Dallas, TX
Halloween, Saint Laurent Rive Droite with Jeffery Deitch, Los Angeles, CA
WATCHLIST, Galerie Droste, Paris, France
HUMAN IS A FIVE LETTER WORD, Galerie Droste, Wuppertal, Germany
NADA, presented by OCHI, Los Angeles, CA
Heads or Tail, OCHI, Los Angeles, CA
Somethin’ Else, Chuck Arnoldi Studio, Venice, CA

2019

The Store Show, ODD ARK LA, Los Angeles, CA
Fiction follows Form, LAMC, Los Angeles, CA
Celestial Season, 0.0-LA, Los Angeles, CA
Summertime Sadness, PØST Kamikaze at MiM Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Parallels to a Fictional Universe, L'Oiseau presente & Botschaft, Berlin, Germany
Second Round, Equilateral Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

2018

Best in Show, That That Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Ghosts of Electricity, Smoke the Moon, Los Angeles, CA
Garden Variety, The Brand Library & Art Center, Glendale, CA
Radiant, Big City Forum at Blue Roof Studios, Los Angeles, CA
Art Los Angeles Contemporary, presented by Club Pro, Los Angeles, CA
Tiny Men on Tits and Friends, Chimento Contemporary, Los Angeles, CA
Fresh Start, LAVA Projects, Los Angeles, CA

2018

Does it Make a Sound, OCHI, Ketchum, ID
Friends, Do Not Fear, New Image Art Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Fire Season, Club Pro at MAUVE, Vienna, Austria
Layer Cake, Zolla/Lieberman, Chicago, IL
Animal Farm, Dalton Warehouse, Los Angeles, CA

2015

Let There Be Light, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, McLean Building, Chicago, IL
Emerging Artists, Urban Edge Gallery, Waukegan, IL

2014

Yonkers Art Weekend, i-Pad Building, Yonkers, NY
Be Yourself At Any Age, BRAC, Bronx, NY
Senses, Torche Gallery, New York, NY
Anniversary Exhibition, Torche Gallery, Belmar, NJ

2013

Fall Exhibition, Torche Gallery, Belmar, NJ
The Grand Opening Exhibition, Torche Gallery, Belmar, NJ
Six Summit Gallery, Hotel Chantelle, New York, NY
The Thrift Show, The Paper Box, Brooklyn, NY

2011

Kunsthoehle, Il Bastardo, New York, NY
Art for Soul: Kenya, Gallery Bar, New York, NY
Framework, M55, Long Island City, NY
Group Show, Deeptanks Studio, Staten Island, NY
Art for Soul: Japan Relief Exhibition, AGallery, New York, NY

AWARDS & RESIDENCIES

2019

OCHI Artist Residency, Sun Valley, Idaho

2016

Toby Devan Lewis Fellowship, School of the Art Institute Chicago, Chicago, IL

2013

Frank Shapiro Award Recipient, Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, NY

2012

Frank Shapiro Award Recipient, Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, NY

LECTURES & EXPERIENCES

2021

Guest Speaker, Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, NY

2019

Visiting Artist, Los Angeles Mission College, Sylmar, CA

Visiting Artist, Syracuse University Turner Residency, San Pedro, CA

2017

Women Under The Influence, Nicodim Gallery, Idylwild, CA

Teaching Assistant, School of the Art Institute Chicago, Chicago, IL

Visiting Artist, University of California Los Angeles, Advanced Painting, Los Angeles, CA

2013

Guest Speaker, Bushwick Art Critique Group, Brooklyn, NY

2012

Urban Studio, President, NY

Founding Director / Curator / Studio Manager, Dalton Warehouse, Los Angeles, CA

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

2023

Norton, Barbara. “Lydia Maria Pfeffer Examines the Mythologies that Populate the Subconscious in ‘Love Magic’ @ Galerie Droste in Paris," AUTRE, Aug. 8
Régent, Mathilde. “The ‘Love Magic’ exhibition or the creation of an ideal tailor-made universe," Harper’s Bazaar France, Jun. 29
Cuxac, Anna. “Paris: The carnival paintings of Lydia Maria Pfeffer arrive at the Galerie Droste," Causette, Jun. 16

2022

Hall, Trulee. “Lydia Maria Pfeffer & Trulee Hall in Conversation: The Earth as Deity," AUTRE, Spring / Summer
Allado-McDowell, K., Amor Cringe, Pub: Deluge Books, Apr. 12
Remenchik, Jennifer. “Lydia Maria Pfeffer’s World of Fertility, Abundance, and Play," Hyperallergic, Apr. 18
Preston Zappas, Lindsay. “Lydia Maria Pfeffer at OCHI," KCRW Art Insider, Mar. 30

2021

Behnke, Paul. “Santa Fe: High Desert High! At Smoke the Moon," Structure and Imagery, Jul. 12
Robinson, Roxanne. “Saint Laurent Gets In The Halloween Spirit," Editorialist, Mar. 30
“Halloween, But Make It Saint Laurent," ICON, Mar.
Stromberg, Matt. “Opening in South Central LA, Tlaloc Studios Hopes to Be a Resource for the Community," Hyperallergic, Mar. 26
Bowie, Summer. “Garden Group Show Features More Than 100 Female & Non-Binary Artists @ Ladies’ Room in Los Angeles," AUTRE, Mar. 11

2020

Raez, Constanza Falco. “Saint Laurent Rive Droite / Halloween Capsule," FLAUNT, Oct. 30
Pernet, Diane. “Saint Laurent Halloween: Lydia Maria Pfeffer," A Shaded View on Fashion, Oct. 29
Anspon, Catherine D. “Dallas Art Fair and New Online Marketplace Innovate with In-Person / Virtual Fair Combo," Paper City Magazine,, Oct. 28
Handler, Ben Lee Ritchie. “Artist Visit: Lydia Maria Pfeffer," Gallery Platform Los Angeles, Aug. 11
VanDerBeek, Sara. “Sara VanDerBeek on Her Favorite Artworks from Week 3 of FAIR," New Art Dealers Alliance

2019

Hsieh, Joanne. “Artist Interview: Shape Shifter Lydia Maria Pfeffer," Ciao x Art, Nov. 21
Khatchadourian, Alex. “Magnificent Visions of Rebellion: Lydia Maria Pfeffer Introduces Us to Her Mythological Cast of Characters," Amadeus, Oct. 22
Vergara, Rayan. “Lydia Maria Pfeffer," Wall Street International, Mar. 13
Baumann, Sacha. “The Continuant," Full Blede, Iss. 7, Jan.

2018

Davis, Genie. “Garden Variety, Growing Great Art at the Brand," Art & Cake, Feb. 23
Abrahams, Megan. “The Barker Hangar, Santa Monica: Art Los Angeles Contemporary 2018 Wrap-up," Fabrik Magazine, Jan. 25
Landa, Jeff. “Brand Library & Art Center exhibit explores time with ‘Garden Variety,’", Los Angeles Times, Jan. 23

News

  • Lydia Marie Pfeffer
    Nightshift Delights
    Group Show
    Chiao x Art
    LINK

  • Lydia Maria Pfeffer
    Group Show: Somebody, Nobody, Anybody
    Marquee Projects
    July 2 – August 7, 2022
    LINK

  • Lydia Maria Pfeffer
    Lydia Maria Pfeffer’s World of
    Fertility, Abundance, and Play

    Hyperallergic
    April 18, 2022
    LINK

  • Lydia Maria Pfeffer
    Lydia Maria Pfeffer at OCHI
    KCRW Events
    March 30, 2022
    LINK

  • Lydia Maria Pfeffer
    Artists Lydia Maria Pfeffer
    and Trulee Hall share their techniques
    in queering the phantasmagorical,
    mythological, & biblical

    AUTRE
    Spring/Summer 2022
    LINK