Artist statement
The American artist Frank Stella once said, “No artist needs to live past forty.” Yet, at 80, I feel my latest collage paintings represent the most accomplished work of my long artistic journey.
I began studying at the Art Students League when I was ten. It was the atmosphere—surrounded by passionate, skilled artists—that made me realize I wanted to be an artist.
Growing up in New York City, I spent countless hours in museums, and in the late 1950s, discovered Abstract Expressionism, which transformed the way I paint.
Much of my life was devoted to caring for my family and working as an art therapist in the NYC public school system. For the past 20 years, I’ve dedicated myself fully to artmaking. It has been a vital part of my life, helping me navigate disappointments and grief as well as celebrate accomplishments and joy. Through the creative process, I have gained a deeper understanding of myself and a greater appreciation for life.
A decade ago, I made Harlem my home—drawn by its colors, warmth, and creative spirit to inspire my work. Each piece is a visual journal—built through mixed media that blend textiles sourced from diverse cultural heritages, handmade papers, and paint to construct richly layered artworks.
bio
Thea Cohen is an abstract painter who lives and works in NYC.In her early years, she attended the Art Students League and studied drawing and painting. She continued her studies with the figurative and landscape painter Bertram Goodman. In 1974, she received a BA in Fine Arts at Brooklyn College, and in 1979 she received an MA in Art Therapy. For 25 years she used her artistic skills and knowledge of psychology to inspire and motivate disabled and emotionally impaired adolescents in the NYC school system. Upon retirement, she studied at the National Academy of Fine Arts under the guidance of Sonia Gectoff, a renowned west coast abstract painter, which prepared her for a career as a full time artist.