“HORSE IN A FIELD”: Artist Vivian Slee, whose work is shown here, is the speaker for the Inside the Artist’s Studio series event on Thursday, May 9 at 6:30 p.m. at Princeton Makes in the Princeton Shopping Center.

On Thursday, May 9 at 6:30 p.m., artist Vivian Slee will be the featured speaker for the Inside the Artist’s Studio series at Princeton Makes in the Princeton Shopping Center. Slee, a member of the Princeton Makes artist cooperative, is a Colombian American artist who makes figurative and landscape paintings. She will share insights from her career and art practice.

Raised in Trenton, Slee earned her undergraduate degree in visual arts at Drew University, and an MFA in fiction from Columbia University. She worked in the art world in New York and Germany and lived in Moscow and London before settling in Princeton with her husband and two daughters. She creates compelling figurative paintings that capture narratives from her community and lived experiences.

Currently employed at Princeton University’s graduate office, Slee’s international art background informs her understanding of contemporary art. From her start as a studio assistant in New York to directing a gallery in Cologne, Slee appreciates the opportunities that have shaped her art.

“Writing and painting and looking at art have been a part of what I guess you’d call my artistic practice for most of my life, but I returned to painting more seriously in 2018,” said Slee. “I was never that comfortable with showing my work, but having a studio at Princeton Makes has been transformative. There, I’ve found community surrounded by a wonderful group of artists and have gained some much-needed artistic confidence. I work in different mediums — from acrylic, charcoal, and India ink to oil paint — and am interested in developing my drawing skills, color vocabulary, and a painting language of my own.”

Slee can be found on Instagram @vivpaintsfromtheattic and this month she is the featured artist at Princeton Makes, which is celebrating its second year. Her work is exhibited in the front window of the retail space and her in-store studio.

The Inside the Artist’s Studio talk series, part of the cooperative’s programming initiatives, offers the public a monthly opportunity to learn about and from its creatives.

The event will begin with a reception, with light refreshments, at 6:30 pm. Artwork by all cooperative artists will be available for purchase. For more information, visit princetonmakes.com.