Claire Watson: New Work

July 12 - August 18, 2025
Press Release

The Drawing Room is pleased to present an exhibition of new work by Claire Watson, who is showing with the gallery for the first time. 

 

On view through August 18th, the exhibition spotlights a body of work created over the past five years through the artist's idiosyncratic technique that incorporates fragments of deconstructed leather garments, gesso and stitching on canvas. Spanning compositions that range from 13 x 13 inches to a tour de force diptych with the presence of a monumental mural, the show reveals the artist's sophisticated handling of imposing biomorphic forms that have both graphic and metamorphic force.

 

Through her exploration of the classical tradition of pattern-making–skills passed down by her mother–Watson reconfigures elements of clothing, while retaining traces of its former utility and meticulous craftsmanship. Vestiges of coats, dresses and pants metamorphosize into dynamic visual structures that echo archetypal forms from ancient civilizations as well as the visual language of 20th century abstraction. Debuting her largest 'paintings' to date, and introducing new palettes that incorporate color in previously monochromatic compositions, Watson’s new work is inspired by both the physicality of her material and the poetic properties embedded within it.

 

Born in Amarillo, Texas, Claire Watson earned a BFA in painting from the University of Texas in Austin, and an MFA in sculpture from Tyler School of Art in Rome and Philadelphia. She moved to New York in 1984, and currently divides her time between New York City and eastern Long Island. 

 

Awards and honors include an Artist Residency at The Watermill Center in 2020; a Residency Fellowship at Saltonstall Foundation for the Arts in 2019; a Fellowship in Sculpture from New York Foundation for the Arts in 2007, and a Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant in 1990. Her works are in numerous private and permanent collections, including The Heckscher Museum of ArtThe Watermill Center, and Onna House.

Works