The Ohio Artist Registry (OAR) is an exciting opportunity for artists to share their work, connect with the creative community, and establish an online presence—all on a free, virtual platform! The OAR encourages artists working in all art forms, throughout Ohio and beyond, to create a profile, which allows them to better promote themselves and their work. Being listed in the OAR provides artists with new opportunities to share their work with clients, galleries, patrons, and audiences. A listing in the OAR does not confer an endorsement, approval, or verification by the Ohio Arts Council.
For more information, contact Kathy Signorino, artist programs director, at kathy.signorino@oac.ohio.gov or 614-728-6140.
2025 Ohio Artist Registry Juried Exhibition
Natalie Lanese
Cleveland OH 44102 United States Website: http://www.natalielanese.com
Bio
Natalie Lanese’s work is recognized for its punchy color palette and layered patterns. She makes paintings, installations, and collages, which The Village Voice described as “enigmatic narratives heightened by keen color clashes and jazzy textures.” Ms. Lanese has exhibited her work at MOCA Tucson, the Akron Art Museum, and the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum in Lincoln, MA, and has installed permanent public artworks in San Diego, Cincinnati, Toledo, and Cleveland, OH. Her work has been featured in New American Paintings. She has attended residencies at Yaddo, the Vermont Studio Center, Otis College of Art + Design, and Sim Residency in Reykjavik, and is the recipient of the Ohio Arts Council’s Individual Excellence Award and the Arts Commission’s Merit Award.
Ms. Lanese received a Master of Fine Arts degree from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York. She earned her Bachelor’s degree at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a Master of Arts degree at Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Institute of Art. She lives and works in Cleveland, Ohio.
Artist Statement
I create abstract paintings, site-specific installations, and collages that explore perceptions of space. Using color, repetition, line, and collage techniques that push and pull against the picture plane, my work produces layered patterns, alternating stripes, and optical color shifts that alter the viewer’s sense of depth. My process involves establishing rules while making spontaneous, slightly measured decisions, allowing space for mistakes and corrections that sometimes remain visible in the finished piece. DayGlo colors, a defining feature of my palette, act as a disruptive tool, challenging visual focus. Hard-edged patterns and geometric forms often dissolve into gestural marks and layered textures, balancing control with expressive tension. These punchy surfaces and intense color contrasts create a shallow, dynamic, optical space.
Collage functions both physically and conceptually in my work. Repeating patterns and gestures reinforce flatness, while collaged or painted elements add depth, creating a constant dialogue between illusion and surface. The paintings extend into the viewer’s space, perceptually or physically, offering a sensory experience that goes beyond the visual.