Untitled (two figures)

Ann Morency

In the mid 1970s Ann Morency, a primarily self-taught artist and fashion designer, turned toward figurative subjects after decades of working within the confines of graphic design and pure Abstract Expressionism. She created a series of graphite drawings and ink-washes of nudes in 1975, from which this piece likely emerged, and continued to focus on representational subjects.

After years of working with oils and drawing mediums, her appreciation for the loose, often unpredictable expression of sumi ink would culminate in her study of Japanese calligraphy, for which she received a high ranking and was awarded a license to teach by the Kampo Cultural Center. Morency continues to live in California.