ARTIST STATEMENT
I paint to map the world around me. Growing up in Saint-Dié-des-Vosges, France, the birthplace of cartography, I developed an early fascination with exploring new places and understanding how people live and connect across cultures. This curiosity has remained a guiding force in both my life and art. Twenty-five years ago, I moved to Chicago and found myself immersed in a completely different landscape. The colors, sounds, and energy of the city were unlike anything I had experienced before. This shift deeply inspired me and pushed me to capture the rhythm and emotion of urban life through painting. I work with layers of acrylics, pastels, and found materials, building textured compositions that reflect the movement and complexity of the environments I encounter. I also sew directly onto the canvas with thread, joining fragments and leaving physical traces of process and presence. Each piece feels like a map, filled with overlapping moments, memories, and symbols. My paintings do not offer clear routes. Instead, they invite viewers to wander, reflect, and interpret. Through my work, I explore how we navigate not only physical spaces, but also relationships, emotions, and histories. I see each canvas as a form of storytelling, where texture, color, and material come together to express something deeply human. My goal is to create a visual space where connection and discovery can unfold.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Isabelle Gougenheim was born in Saint-Dié-des-Vosges, the town where the name America first appeared on a map. Surrounded by symbols, geography, and reused materials, she developed an early interest in storytelling through form and texture. These roots continue to shape her artistic practice. After earning a Master’s in Fine Art and Ethnology in Strasbourg, Isabelle spent six months living with Berber tribes in Morocco. Immersed in their culture, she discovered a new visual language and deepened her connection to craft and material. Now based in Chicago, Isabelle blends painting, sewing, and collage to create vibrant, layered works. She works mainly on unprimed canvas, combining bold colors, found objects, and tactile elements. Her pieces reflect the rhythm of daily life, shaped by urban noise and moments of introspection. Through texture, color, and movement, each work invites viewers to enter a visual world that is personal and poetic. Isabelle is recognized as one of today’s finest emerging artists by publishers such as Saatchi Art and AFA Publishing. Her recent solo exhibitions include cities like Colmar, France, and Chicago. She is represented by galleries across Europe and the US.
© Isabelle Gougenheim