BIO
Michelle Farro is a painter and printmaker based in New Jersey. She received her BFA from Laguna College of Art & Design and also studied at the Florence Academy of Art in Italy. Her work functions as a visual diary, shaped by an interest in old photographs, overlooked objects, and moments of quiet observation in nature. Recent projects include paintings for HBO, Chairish, Bergdorf Goodman, and Anthropologie. Her work is held in private collections worldwide.
Michelle Farro received a 2026 Finalist award from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.
Michelle Farro received a 2026 Finalist award from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.
STATEMENT
My paintings begin with looking and remembering. I’m drawn to small moments that stay with me: light and shadow across a landscape, a passing figure, or a familiar object that carries a sense of shared experience. I collect fragments like photographs, phrases, and gestures, and bring them together through memory and direct observation to create images that feel both specific and open. I work intuitively between oil, gouache, and printmaking, letting the medium shift in response to the image or idea. Titles offer a point of entry while leaving space for viewers to bring their own associations. Together, the paintings feel like individual moments that quietly speak to one another over time.
The works shown here are connected to places close to home, especially Lambertville and the surrounding Bucks County region along the Delaware River. This body of work came together over the past few years of living here, as certain views and histories began to reappear in my studio.
Some paintings were made from direct observation, while other works were inspired by vintage photographs from the region gathered from estate sales, local books, and my own research into the area's past. I use memory and intuition to build color palettes, allowing each image to become a reimagined moment that carries both atmosphere and a sense of the past.
Some paintings were made from direct observation, while other works were inspired by vintage photographs from the region gathered from estate sales, local books, and my own research into the area's past. I use memory and intuition to build color palettes, allowing each image to become a reimagined moment that carries both atmosphere and a sense of the past.