Claire Godbee

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Claire Godbee is a painter based between Birmingham, Alabama and New York City whose work explores cycles of growth, decay, grief, and regeneration through figurative and symbolic imagery. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2016 and has since developed an independent studio practice rooted in mythology, ecology, and contemporary womanhood.

Godbee’s paintings investigate themes of transformation, identity reconstruction, and the tension between destruction and renewal. Drawing inspiration from the Southern landscape, personal mythology, and archetypal narratives, her work often reimagines figures and symbols through a feminist lens. She is influenced by artists such as Hilma af Klint, Ana Mendieta, Jennifer Packer, and William Blake for their emotional intensity, spiritual undertones, and expansive use of symbolism and color.

Her work has been exhibited throughout the Southeast, including at The Old Bailey Gallery, AEIVA, Room 412, BPL Gallery, Red 225 Gallery, Lowe Mill Arts & Entertainment, and WomanMade Gallery. Godbee has been featured in Create! Magazine, Birmingham Lifestyle Magazine, and No Bad Art Podcast.

Godbee will begin her MFA in Studio Art at New York University in Fall 2026, where she plans to further expand her interdisciplinary practice through painting, installation, and material experimentation.


clairegodbee.com