Malcolm T. Liepke

Malcolm T. Liepke
Born	(1953-10-31) October 31, 1953 Minneapolis, USA
Nationality	American
Education	Art Center College of Design (Los Angeles)

Malcolm T. Liepke (Minneapolis, Minnesota, 1953) is a contemporary American painter noted for his representations of figures in interior environments, executed with a technique characterized by loose brushstrokes and rich textures. His work is influenced by masters such as John Singer Sargent and Diego Velázquez, whose wet-on-wet painting techniques and handling of color and composition have left an evident mark on his style.

Other artists who inspired him were Edgar Degas, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, James McNeill Whistler or Édouard Vuillard. In turn, his style has inspired others.

In his work, women are a central theme, represented in moments of introspection, rest or sensuality. These figures, although contemporary, are placed in settings that evoke glamor and sophistication. Liepke uses grayish and dusty tones on the skin, achieving a carnal texture that emphasizes the vitality of his characters. His compositions balance the everyday and the idealized, avoiding temporal details to give his works a timeless quality.

Liepke combines traditional methods with a modern perspective, creating pieces that, although inspired by the past, represent universal themes such as loneliness and introspection. His compositions originate from a mixture of photographs, sketches and imagined elements, which he organizes and combines in his studio before capturing them on canvas. He uses Claessens Belgian linen as a support, a wide variety of oil paints, and glazing techniques to work in multiple layers while maintaining the freshness of the painting.

He studied at the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles, California, but left school to move to New York, where he worked as an illustrator for publications such as Time, Newsweek, Forbes and Fortune. However, dissatisfied with the restrictions of commercial art, he decided in the 1980s to dedicate himself exclusively to painting. Since then, his work has evolved into a style that combines technical precision with direct expressiveness.

His artworks are now in the collection of the Smithsonian Institution and the Brooklyn Museum. Liepke's work has been widely shown and exhibited in the Pastel Society of America, the American Watercolor Society, National Academy of Design and the National Arts Club. Liepke's emphasis has been on figurative artworks. His paintings and drawings often focus on intimate moments of sensual pleasure and introspection. Malcolm T. Liepke has been selling out his exhibitions since his 1986 show at Eleanor Ettinger Gallery. Alma Dror and Bari ben Zeev from Telma Yelin School of Art have made a presentation of his life and wrote a dialogue inspired by his art work "Girls' Night."

His creative process includes simultaneously maintaining 20 to 30 paintings in different stages of development, allowing him to work efficiently and avoid getting stuck on a single work. Throughout her career, her palette has shifted from dark tones to more vibrant colors, reflecting her interest in innovating and avoiding repetitive approaches.

He currently lives and works in his hometown of Minneapolis, where he continues to develop his artistic practice.