Lynell Ingram

​I used to joke that I painted to keep myself sane. Turns out that it's more than a bit of hyperbole. Throughout my life I've turned to art to help me process difficult emotions and overwhelming situations.

In my paintings I combine figurative art with colorful symbolism, surrealism, and a bit of dark humor to break down the stigmas of women's mental illness. I lean into the chaos of creating and combine acrylic or watercolor with collage, ink, transfer prints, found objects, and anything else that feels right.

Everything I make is informed by my own mental health struggles but is about the experiences of women universally. My work picks at expectations put on women from personal, social, and community relationships as well as the ongoing battles for bodily autonomy and rights, the impact of gendered violence, and cultural gender roles that leave few unscathed in influencing who we become and how we experience life.

By continuing to make these topics more visible I hope to help normalize honest representations of mental illness. I believe more exposure and candid conversations need to be had to create change in recognition and support for women who are struggling. The ultimate hope is to influence larger cultural changes to clo...

2003 BFA in Illustration, Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, Milwaukee, WI

2023 Solo Exhibition, The Inspiration Project, Prospect Heights Public Library, Prospect Heights, IL

2023 Windows to the Inside: Expressions of Mental Health, Woman Made Gallery, Virtual Exhibition

2022 Something Wicked, Side Street Studio Arts, Elgin, IL

2022 Visible/Invisible, Curated by Indira Freitas Johnson, Fran Joy, and Lisa Degliantoni, Noyes Cultural Center, Evanston, IL
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2019 Is it Really So Strange?, Pop-Up Show at Cairo Ale House, West Chicago, IL
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2012 Toy Invaderz, Curated by Emmanuel White Eagle, RGB Lounge, Wicker Park, Chicago, IL
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2011 Day of the Dead, Trickster Gallery, Schaumburg, IL
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2011 Pop and Comic Art, Mosquito Gallery, Kenosha, WI
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2011 Solo Exhibition, The Works of Lynell Ingram, Galerie des Terrors at Horrorbles, Berwyn, IL
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2010 Zodiac, 1901 Gallery, Chicago, IL
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2006 & 2007 H’Arts, Starline Gallery, Harvard, IL
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2000 Foundation Student Art Exhibit, Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, Milwaukee, WI