"Golden Birthday Balloons" Painting

Emily Cate Sabree (b. 1981) is a contemporary realist oil painter based in Manhattan whose work examines disposable objects and leisure culture as essential components of American consumerism. Through a precise realist approach, she highlights the contradictions, comforts, and complexities of modern life. Much of her recent work centers on the plastic items ubiquitous to annual celebrations—objects used for only hours yet destined to persist in landfills for centuries. A 2024–25 merit scholarship recipient at the Art Students League of New York, Emily studied portraiture and figure painting with acclaimed White House portrait artist Sharon Sprung. She is also a resident artist member of the Salmagundi Club, where she engages with a vibrant artistic community that continually enriches her practice. In 2025, both institutions recognized her work with awards. Emily’s paintings are held in private collections across the United States. In 2023, she completed an artist residency at the Ora Lerman Charitable Trust, deepening her exploration of contemporary narratives in still-life and figurative work. Her recent exhibitions include MYTHOS at The Painting Center, Postcards from Paradise at Voss Gallery in San Francisco, and the Affordable Art Fair NYC with treat gallery. She has also exhibited at the Nordstrom NYC Flagship home store, expanding her reach to a broader audience. Blending traditional oil techniques with themes drawn from present-day culture, Emily creates thoughtful, resonant works that invite viewers to reconsider their relationship to consumerism and the seemingly ordinary objects that shape daily life.