Joshua Bienko

Joshua Bienko’s art combines the style of the Flemish masters with the ironic wit of an astute social critic. His work examines our cultural landscape for the signs of traditional materials associated with drawing and painting. Bienko is among an exciting new breed of artists committed to eluding categories of media in the pursuit of ideas. His precise execution of technique is more an authentic mental exercise than an emotionally driven expression. What emerges is a heartfelt distance from his subject. Fashion and art coexist in an exquisitely painted portrait of Duchamp on the sole of a Christian Louboatin stiletto. Individualism is hidden and revealed in 150 lovingly rendered graphite drawings if each member of a sorority. After earning degrees from the University of Buffalo and the Lamar Dodd School of Art at the University of Georgia, Bienko joined the faculty of Texas A&M University.

This bio/description was originally published in 2009 and updated in 2013. For more current information, please refer to the award recipient's website (if provided).