Loie Hollowell (b. 1983, Woodland, California) is a New York-based artist known for her vibrant, geometric paintings and drawings that explore themes of sexuality, physicality and motherhood. Her work exists at the intersection of abstraction and figuration, drawing from autobiographical experiences to create symbolic and universal narratives. Using bold colors, dramatic chiaroscuro and three-dimensional sculptural elements, Hollowell's works investigate the human body as a site of sensuality, spirituality and transformation.
Her compositions feature symbolic shapes like the mandorla, ogee and lingam, referencing bodily forms and sacred geometry. By incorporating sculpted forms made of high-density foam onto her canvases, Hollowell blurs the boundaries between painting and sculpture, engaging viewers in a dynamic interaction with light, shadow and space. Her approach often involves symmetry and a central axis, directly correlating the scale of her works to the body parts they depict, such as the head, breasts or groin.
Hollowell's influences include her upbringing by artist parents in California, the Light and Space movement and Neo-Tantric art. Her work also reflects the lineage of artists like Agnes Pelton, Georgia O’Keeffe and Judy Chicago, merging a sensual engagement with form and color with spiritual and feminist undertones. By situating deeply personal themes within a broader symbolic framework, her art invites a contemplative exploration of embodiment, desire and life’s primordial origins.