Y2K-Esque Painting

Emily Lovejoy is a New Orleans–based contemporary artist whose practice has evolved from portrait-driven surrealism into intuitive abstract painting. After earning a BFA in painting from University of New Orleans in 2012 and working in gallery management and exhibition curation, Lovejoy shifted her focus toward exploring emotion and atmosphere through color, texture, and movement. Her current work draws inspiration from nature and introspection, using abstraction to translate feeling into immersive visual spaces. Organic forms, layered surfaces, and expressive color palettes create paintings that invite quiet reflection and personal interpretation. While her earlier work examined identity through portraiture, her recent practice embraces a more open, intuitive language — one that prioritizes presence, mood, and the beauty of imperfection. Through this evolution, Lovejoy continues to explore how art can capture not just appearances, but the subtle energies that shape lived experience.