Swimmers and Flyers, 2022, inks, wax + resin, oil on board, 40 x 36 in.
ABOUT
Laura Ross-Paul working in her studio.
Known for her evocative figurative paintings that explore themes of resilience, empowerment, and transformation, Laura Ross-Paul is a Northwest artist and (retired) academic with a career spanning over four decades. Her work has been showcased around the country, particularly on the West Coast, earning recognition for its emotional depth and social relevance. Known for creating art that is both universally spiritual and deeply personal, Ross-Paul’s later works, particularly those focused on social activism, are strikingly powerful. Her ongoing commitment to advocating for women’s rights continues to blaze a bold and influential path, inviting viewers to reflect on both individual and collective empowerment.
SELECTED ARTWORKS
BIOGRAPHY
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2025 Gold, Portland Arts Collective, Portland, OR
2024 Pacific People, Places and Things, Cannon Beach Gallery, OR
2023 The BrEaST Show, Nine Gallery (Blue Sky Center for Photographic Arts) Portland, OR, Bonnie Laing-Malcolmson, The Arlene and Harold Schnitzer (Retired) Curator of NW Art, Portland Art Museum (review)
2022 Beach World, Hoffman Center for the Arts, Manzanita, OR
2019 Life for Breasts, Hoffman Center for the Arts, Manzanita, OR
2018 Everyday Heroes, Multnomah Athletic Club, Portland Oregon
2015-18 Brian Marki Gallery, Palm Springs, California
1985-16 Froelick Gallery, Portland, Oregon
2012 History Lessons, Helzer Gallery, Portland Community College, Portland, OR
2009 Still Lives, Joanne Artman, Laguna Beach, CA
2004-08 Pacini Lubel Gallery, Seattle, WA
2007 Laura Ross-Paul: The Allusive Self, Colburn Gallery, Colorado College, Colorado Springs, Curator: Jessica Hunter Larsen (catalog)
2006 Naked, Froelick Gallery, Portland, OR (catalog-essay by Teri Hopkins)
2003 Juggling, Jenkins-Johnson Gallery, San Francisco, CA
1999 Realism Into Abstraction, Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco, CA
EXHIBITIONS
The BrEaST Show Installation, Research Embrace Share, Bonded in Breastedness, Nine Gallery.
Visual Code Installation, Portland Community College.
PRESS AND PUBLICATIONS
Laura Ross-Paul Breasts and Beyond, Oregon Artswatch Fridericke Heuer July 2, 2023.
Pacific People, Places Catalog.
Miracle Works Art Catalog.
ADVOCACY
Laura Ross-Paul’s paintings—particularly her later series pertaining to social activism and advocacy are extremely powerful—and her passion to advocate for women’s rights continues to blaze an influential path.
A breast cancer diagnosis in 2003 left NW painter Laura Ross-Paul with a mastectomy as her only medical option. Her artist’s appreciation of the human form’s beauty instilled a desire to keep her breast and treat her cancer.
Clinically she was Patient #1 for a new form of treatment: cryoablation. Freezing allowed her to both keep her breast and potentially boost her overall immunity.
A growing number of Ross-Paul’s exhibits use imagery inspired by her cancer journey.
For more about her advocacy work click here.
Self Portrait with Blue Orbs, 2003, charcoal and pastel on paper, 24 x 19 in.