Ava Lambert is a self-taught artist, born and based in Minneapolis. While her primary medium is oil painting, she has significant experience in a variety of other mediums including acrylic, watercolor, ink, pencil, and sculpture. Lambert acquires inspiration from her surroundings, taking her own reference photos and reinterpreting them on canvas. Her detailed paintings often include everyday objects and overlooked scenes or subject matter. She is drawn to elements of nature and modern landscapes, highlighting the interaction between man-made structures and the environment. In addition to her studio practice, Lambert frequently accepts commissions and provides illustration work for select design and stationery companies.

 

                                                                  Lambert's works have received regional and international awards and recognition. Her most recent accomplishments include a first-place award at the Parklane Gallery 2023 Winter Show as well as honorable mention awards at the 36th annual Chelsea International Fine Art Competition and the 2023 Northeast Fine Arts Exhibition. Her works have been juried and awarded by curators of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, MoMA, Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Whitney Museum of American Art, and The Leiden Collection, among others. Her works have been included in exhibitions and private collections in the UK, Italy, and across the US. Lambert has also been an included artist in the selective Minnesota Fine Arts Exhibition six times, in the 2019 - 2023 and 2025 competitions. ​

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Artist Statement

I am a representational artist captivated by the intricacies within and between the natural world and the structures we create. As a self-taught artist, I strive to learn more about my artistic practice and stylistic preferences through every piece I create. The subjects of my paintings over my artistic career have been diverse, ranging from elements of the purely natural world towards the interaction between these environmental elements and man-made structures. My current work focuses on the transformation of our modern landscape and the integration our entire beings have within this change. I believe that landscapes, whether mundane or stunning or in between, tell stories. Places are our experienced reality and evoke real emotional and physical reactions. My goal is for my art to transport the viewer to a space where memories are stirred and to invite reflection on our connections to both the environment and the built world. Even in places that may be foreign to the viewer, this connection can still be felt as a sense of longing or fascination. Each piece invites viewers to explore the interplay of nature and humanity and to discover their own personal resonances.

 

In most of my works, I aim to highlight beauty in the everyday and transform the overlooked into something profound. In this way, I aspire to create a bridge between the viewer and the scene, allowing for a moment of pause and introspection in our fast-paced lives. Ultimately, my art is an exploration of the emotional landscapes we navigate—those spaces that evoke a sense of familiarity and nostalgia or unfamiliarity and intrigue. I draw profound inspiration from the Dutch Golden Age, a time when artists shifted from painting the ornate and otherworldly to masterfully representing intimate scenes of everyday life and landscapes. Their ability to capture the nuances of light, texture, and atmosphere informs my approach to painting. I strive to evoke a similar sense of intimacy and connection in my work, portraying moments that celebrate both the ordinary and the extraordinary.