Biography
Laurel Archie is an artist and educator in Columbia, SC. An Illinois native, she studied Fine Arts at Loyola University Chicago, receiving her BA in 2007. She went on to complete her MFA in painting at the University of South Carolina in 2012. At USC she created large-scale oil paintings of human figures and interiors, inspired by her time studying modern art in Italy and France. After graduating, her subject expanded to include genre painting and still life traditions. Laurel’s work continues to explore color theory, the tension between the 2D and 3D world, and the haptic nature of human interaction. Her awards include the USC College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s MFA Fellowship as well as The John Benz Painting Award. She has exhibited frequently in her state of South Carolina and continues to build both her national and international presence. Laurel currently teaches full-time at Columbia College while maintaining a painting practice in her backyard studio at home in West Columbia, SC, with her husband and three children.