journal

Undoing the History of Beauty Through the Gaze of LYRA Artists

Once considered the very purpose of art, beauty has long been entangled with power, idealisation, and the female body. Today, artists, many of whom are shaping LYRA’s collection, challenge these historical paradigms, reclaiming and reimagining what beauty is and what it can mean.

Behind The Scenes with Meghan Smith

Meghan is the newly appointed LYRA Curator of Contemporary Art at ICA SF, the first charitable gift created by the LYRA Art Foundation

Body and Soul, Jenny Saville's fierce expression

To the question of what it means to see, paint, and be in the human body, British artist Jenny Saville offers no easy resolution – instead, she presents an unapologetically bold survey where figuration and abstraction intertwine.

The artistic subversion of Sylvia Sleigh: where realism and feminism meet

Few artists who challenged traditional representations of gender in art as boldly as LYRA artist Sylvia Sleigh. A Welsh-born realist painter, Sleigh gained prominence in the 1970s for reversing the male gaze by portraying male subjects with the same sensitivity and sensuality historically reserved for female nudes. Works, such as The Turkish Bath (1973), reinterpreted classical compositions by placing men in vulnerable, reclining poses.

Flesh, Form, and Memory: The life and work of Alina Szapocznikow

The human body has played an essential role in art throughout history. From the classical sculptures of antiquity to the meticulous anatomical drawings of the Italian Renaissance, the figuration of the body has evolved through the centuries as artists explore the many different facets of identity. In the 20th century, artists started broadening their perception of the human body in art by experimentally associating the body with questions regarding sexual equality, gender identity and feminism, as societies began to reinterpret traditional and patriarchal social norms.

Sylvia Snowden: Painting the Human Condition Through Abstraction

Upon meeting artist Sylvia Snowden in Paris last October, during her show at White Cube entitled Sylvia Snowden: Between Presence and Absence, it was immediately apparent that we were in the presence of greatness. Her whole demeanour, from her gentle nature and presence to her empathy and profound passion for her work, evoked a sense of awe and respect in all those present.

Cecily Brown — Variations on an abstract theme

LYRA artist Cecily Brown (b. 1969) is a British-born artist recognised for her dynamic, gestural paintings that merge abstraction with figuration. Her works evoke a range of historical influences while engaging with contemporary themes of desire, movement, and perception. Over the course of her career, Brown has established herself as a pivotal figure in contemporary painting, bridging the traditions of the past with modern sensibilities.

Yoko Ono — Wishing Trees

LYRA believes in supporting and investing in both emerging and established contemporary artists working across multiple disciplines. Yoko Ono firmly falls into the ‘established’ category.

Institute of Contemporary Art San Francisco names Meghan Smith — LYRA Foundation Curator of Contemporary Art

LYRA Foundation’s first-ever philanthropic grant will help establish a new three-year curatorial position at the museum

Conversation on the Canal Volume V: Caroline Walker

Lyra artist Caroline Walker delves into the intricacies of women's lives, and their roles within domestic and professional settings

So, So, So – Celebrating Galli’s first UK solo exhibition

A new exhibition at Goldsmiths Centre for Contemporary Art in London, celebrates the life, work and contribution that Galli has made to the world over the past fifty years. From her early life in Germany after the Second World War, through her pioneering involvement with the progressive Berlin arts scene of the 1970s and 80s, to her ‘rediscovery’ in recent years, Galli’s devotion to her work is remarkable — ultimately creating a more sensitive world through her poignant pieces of art — is inspiring, and rightly celebrated in this exhibition.

Are women artists finally getting their due?

The world’s wealthiest collectors are spending more money on female artists, but women still face woeful biases throughout their careers

Article by Anna Bradley, Art Basel

Conversation on the Canal Volume IV: Sarah Dwyer

Lyra spoke with artist Sarah Dwyer about the relationship between the physical and the illusionary, her dynamic process of creation, and her participation in Lyra exhibition “I’m Not Afraid of Ghosts” in Venice.

Conversation on the Canal Volume II: Scout Zabinski

Lyra spoke with artist Scout Zabinski about her chosen medium of self-portraiture, symbolism, legacy, Italy, and the exhibition “I’m Not Afraid of Ghosts.”

What Makes a Foreigner?

Expressionist threads influenced by de Kooning’s time in Italy extend through to the contemporary period.

Venice Highlights Outside the Biennale

Lyra Highlights Venice exhibitions outside the walls of the Pavillions.

Conversation on the Canal Volume III: Hannah Bays

Artist Hannah Bays shares her thoughts about the subconscious, the body, desire and more with Lyra on the occasion of the exhibition “I’m Not Afraid of Ghosts.”

Conversation on the Canal Volume I: Sarah McCrory

An interview with the Co-Curator of Lyra exhibition “I’m Not Afraid of Ghosts,” on view now at Palazzo Tiepolo Passi on Venice’s Grand Canal.