Brooklyn, NY artist Margaret Bowland

'Flower Girl #2'

'Portrait of Kenyetta and Brianna'

* All images used with permission. Please do not distribute without first contacting the artist.

About Margaret

Margaret Bowland was born in Burlington, North Carolina, and studied studio art and English at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Her work explores the concept of beauty—what it means to be beautiful, but also to what extent it is significant today, both in the world and in art. ‘Being beautiful is a form of wealth, says Bowland.

She considers that the commonly held ideal of beauty is to be tall, thin and white. And while we recognize deviations from this norm can have appeal, are deviations nonetheless. ‘The need to be beautiful fuels one of the largest and most ruthless industries in our world,’ she says.

Bowland currently lives in Brooklyn and teaches painting at New York Academy. Her work has been exhibited at Greenville County Museum of Art in South Carolina and Babcock Galleries in New York, among others.

Follow Margaret

Margaret's website

Representation

Babcock Galleries
724 Fifth Avenue, 11th Floor
New York, NY

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Anonymous

03.29.2012 @ 5:14 PM

The paintings are truly beautiful, and very real. Despite what others say, I do believe that people think of beauty of being the blonde bombshell. Times are changing, but not as much as most people think. Where I live, you simply aren't beautiful if you're not caucasian. I'm of mixed heritage, and the paintings arent misconstrued at all. In my experience, it doesnt matter what kind of person that you are, beauty is judged by skin color. I've struggled with that for a while now, and the paintings give voice to what my communtity and many others do feel. If the perception of beauty has changed, I certainly havent seen evidence of that.

Kathy

08.24.2011 @ 7:37 PM

This is some fantastic art! The kind that I get the most emotional response from, realism with a twist. I may miss the artists' theme or idea that they would like to convey, but I ask forgiveness. There are a few others here in the Brooklyn artists, the realists, that knock it out of the park. This type of talent cannot be ...whatever... they are artists. Period. We , dear friends, are not.

Mary

06.04.2011 @ 10:09 PM

the first tells you a lot about society today. Many color people would believe that your not perfect or important enough if you aren't white. Well this art shows us the morals we have, we might be different color and might not show of how much it hurts us when there is so much races and discrimination going around. I think this painting has more value in many peoples eyes and what we become to be now!

David collins

05.30.2011 @ 5:39 PM

Amazing work - and she's only just begun!

Jessicasilva

05.15.2011 @ 7:15 PM

So beautiful!

Emilybark

05.10.2011 @ 5:19 AM

Hey this seems to be nice post, an informative and also very descriptive with regards to paintings...

Margie

05.02.2011 @ 3:54 PM

stunning work. the woman can paint. and evoke

Alessandra195

04.26.2011 @ 2:21 PM

beautiful, another message this tells, the struggle of children raised in mix marriage
confuses their place in society/ life. Am I white or black? This point from experience.

Brillant!!:)

Thomas haapma

04.25.2011 @ 7:49 PM

I love your art.

Zaki

04.15.2011 @ 8:49 AM

This is great work! way to transcend the canvas! I love the wallpaper in the background!