Natalie Friedman
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Natalie Friedman, featured in AQ Volume VI, was born in Oakland, California in 1968 and graduated from UCLA with a degree in Fine Arts in 1990. Known for her acrylic paintings of interiors and landscapes, she explores the power of color and light to evoke a sense of place and belonging. Hints of cubism, expressionism, and fauvism flavor her approach to painting.
Friedman has been included in the Emeryville Celebration of the Arts (2023/2024), the De Young Open (2023), Urban Tides: A San Francisco Story at the Voss Gallery/San Francisco Ferry Building (2024). She had her first solo show in March 2024 at the Compound Gallery, Emeryville. She’s preparing for her second solo show in October 2025.
https://www.nfoakland.com/
What inspired you to become an artist, and how did you decide to commit to this path?
For as long as I can remember, I’ve engaged with the world through painting and drawing. Creating art is intrinsic to how I see, process, and play with the world around me. Committing to being an artist really came down to valuing how I am in the world—knowing that the act of creating art is worthwhile in and of itself. Getting to that certitude has been a process. Having aged out of my first career as a full-time mother, I found myself at the crossroads of having to consciously decide where my energy would go next. That inflection point became a clarion call to value what I’d always loved doing: painting.
Could you share the story or concept behind your recent work?
My recent work has focused on using personal spaces as a subject matter to then explore the power of color and light to create a sense of place. Currently, I am fascinated by liminal spaces, in particular—the transitional spaces. Rather than trying to represent a specific place, I’ve been working with transmitting the feeling of being in place at a particular moment in time or in an old, familiar space in many moments all at once.
What role does experimentation and exploration play in your artistic practice?
Every painting feels like jumping into the void. Each time I begin with a hint of pessimism that I won’t ever create another painting I love as much as the last one I fell in love with. But then the process unfolds and takes me on a journey. Rather than judging the piece as it progresses, I try to keep my mind on moving forward. There are no mistakes, only new challenges to solve, new mysteries to uncover.
What message do you hope your art conveys to the world?
Be present. When people look at my work, I hope it catches them and holds them for a second (or more). Life is so busy and messy, and there are so many things to worry about and struggle with or for, but it is important to take time to notice where you are and what’s around you. To see and appreciate what’s beautiful and sustaining right here, in this moment. I hope my work offers that respite and that it encourages people to reflect and, in doing so, to recharge.
Share a mantra or favorite quote that keeps you going.
I have two favorite mantras. “Wherever you go, there you are,” which has been attributed to many wisdom teachers, including Confucius and Jon Kabat-Zinn. This reminds me to then follow my other favorite mantra: “Be here now” (which Ram Dass popularized with his eponymous book). Both mantras serve to keep me grounded and focused on what is right in front of me, which is often a painting.
