FACE TO FACE: Portraits by Margaret Lazarri

Margaret with a selection of portraits in her studio.

Margaret Lazzari’s new painting series FACE TO FACE is a collection of portraits of women ages 55 to 85. The series is an honest look at aging and a testament to the strength and resilience of an often-marginalized group through the dynamic representation of Lazzari’s friends and acquaintances.  

Inspired by the bright colors and framing used in Andy Warhol’s celebrity portraits as well as the celebrated portraiture of artists such as Amy Sherald, Kerry James Marshall, and Kehinde Wiley, Lazzari strives to change the conversation around aging. She also explores how making these portraits allowed both the artist and the sitter to feel less alone and isolated by fostering a feeling of community and engagement.

Margaret Lazzari is a Los Angeles-based painter, writer, and Professor Emerita of Art of the University of Southern California’s Roski School of Art and Design. She is represented by the Billis/Williams Gallery in Los Angeles and is half of the Lazzari and Evans Public Art Design Team, creating public art dealing with the persistence of nature in urban environments. Lazzari was the Fresno Art Museum’s Council of 100 Distinguished Woman Artist for 2015.