A native of Brooklyn, New York, STEVEN LABADESSA is an artist and educator recognized for his evocative self-portraits, which combine hyperbole with profound psychological insight.

Labadessa challenges the conventions of contemporary painting, which he perceives as excessively politicized, overly mannered, and constrained. His work reasserts painting as a performative art form capable of profound resonance. Whether beautiful or agonizing, comedic or unsettling, painting transcends cultural boundaries, offering a voice to the marginalized and a means of experiencing the world that surpasses the confines of language.

Central to Labadessa’s practice is a defiance of simplistic narratives and an exploration of themes often deemed taboo (sex, violence, ritual, and play, for instance). His art captures the tensions of modern life, situating them within a shared human experience. The gaze, both as an act of looking and being seen, becomes a powerful tool in his work, fostering belonging, freedom, and resistance while subverting reductive interpretations.

His influences span a wide range of artistic traditions, from the dark avant-gardism of Tatsumi Hijikata’s Butoh and the choreography of Pina Bausch to the provocative performances of Vito Acconci. He also draws inspiration from the Romantic poets, particularly Lord Byron and Percy Shelley, and the meticulous realism of the Northern Renaissance masters Hans Memling and Jan van Eyck.

Labadessa earned an MFA in Painting from the University of Pennsylvania and has exhibited and taught extensively across the United States, Europe, and Japan. His training includes mentorship under renowned artists and critics such as Lennart Anderson, William Beckman, Lee Bontecou, Susanna Coffey, Lois Dodd, Anne Harris, Kurt Kauper, John Moore, and William T. Williams.

Currently based in Providence, Rhode Island, Steven Labadessa continues to explore and expand the boundaries of his art. More of his work can be viewed at his website.