Renée Demsey

Biography
Portrait of Renee Demsey
Portrait of Renee Demsey

Renée Demsey is an accomplished artist who has been a fixture in art, fashion, and design for nearly 75 years. A prolific artist and fashion force, she has created around five thousand paintings over the course of her lifetime. At the age of ninety, she recently began drawing again.

 

Renée Demsey initially showcased her work at the renowned "Street of Shops" within New York City's Henri Bendel, where it was curated by the legendary Geraldine Stutz. Later, she became an artist in residence at Nena's Choice Gallery located inside Bergdorf Goodman (NYC). Her art was praised for its exuberant colors and described as blossoming alive from the canvases with a joyful and summery feel. During the 10th anniversary of her one-woman show, Nena's lauded her style as "inimitable plein-de-fleurs," while celebrating her art's freshness, romance, and whimsy.

 

A snapshot from the Bergdorf Goodman Summer '77 Catalog showcases Renée Demsey's remarkable ability to transform the world into her own canvas, where her art emanates a sense of holiday bliss, with vivid depictions of Acapulco lights, the blues of the Rivera, and opulent Palm Beach porches.

 

A close friend and fellow artist, Jeanne Glazer, remarked on Renee's fearlessness in exploring patterns and colors, describing her as an extension of her "large, bold, truthful, and beautiful" canvases. Painting has brought immense joy to Renee, which is strikingly reflected in her art.

 

Her son, beauty industry entrepenuer John Demsey, has devoted the entire fourth floor of his house to her works called “Renée guest suites." His book Behind the Blue Door Behind the Blue Door presents the decor of of his six-story townhouse in Manhattan, including a collection of Renée Demsey's artworks. 

 

Renée Demsey's artistic prowess has garnered attention through numerous museum shows and solo exhibitions in prominent cities like New York, Cleveland, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Currently based in New York, she continues to enchant the art world with her vivid and captivating creativity.

Works
Exhibitions