Carol Es

Carol Es is a contemporary mixed media abstract artist from Los Angeles who identifies as genderqueer and a nonbinary person. They are known for their unusual modern oil paintings, weird drawings, storytelling personal collages, and Artist’s books. Carol has exhibited in major galleries and universities across the United States, including Arizona, Pennsylvania, and New York, with solo shows in California, Texas, and Tennessee. They are widely collected by museums such as the Getty, Brooklyn Museum, National Museum of Women in the Arts, and the Precision Cancer Building of San Francisco State University. A two-time recipient of ARC Grants from the Durfee Foundation, they have also won a Pollock-Krasner Fellowship and the Wynn Newhouse Award for their visionary artwork. Their work has been reviewed in Artillery, LA Times, ArtScene, LA WEEKLY, ArtLTD, Art&Cake, and WhiteHot Magazine.

Artist’s Statement

I consider myself a visual storyteller most interested in exploring the rural landscape. My compositions begin as crude, spontaneous ideas that sometimes commingle with the absurd. I love to address existential narratives that exist as parables. These allegories depict intimate anecdotes within my psyche where I can reveal myself through the abstract inventions that I call paintings. I seek to connect with my viewers through nature-inspired impressions, which drive the spirit of my work.  

Using a variety of media, I most often work in oil painting. I also use watercolor, collage, embroidery, and have a background in the garment manufacturing industry. I grew up cutting patterns for women’s apparel from the age of eleven. I also like to draw on maps and make unique Artist’s books that have been acquired by prominent collections.