Meet Lisa Royere

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisa Royere.

Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
Where do I even start?! I was born in the South of France and moved to Los Angeles at a very young age with my family. From there, I attended an international school in West LA where I discovered my passion for art.

I then attended an all-girls Catholic school on Sunset where I took my curiosity for art on a whole new level.
I was one of the only students who took every single course imaginable in the art department, whether it was photography or ceramics, I did it all! It was super fun getting to experiment with various mediums and see how far I can push ideas.

One of my favorite projects I did in this 3D Sculpture class was a 6-foot, 40-pound plastic carousel horse entirely made from plastic waste found from our Socal beaches. The concept was to educate children on recycling and how it benefits our environment if we make it part of our daily chore. It was then showcased at the Los Angeles Public Library in Downtown, and as a sophomore in High School, that was an incredible accomplishment because not only was it at that moment where I realized that I loved being creative, but I wanted to make impactful works of art.

Fast forward to graduating High School, I attended Chapman University where I got a scholarship in Studio Arts. I initially majored in Studio Art with an emphasis in painting, but once again, curiosity hit and I wanted to test the boundaries of what was possible and see if I can take art to the next level where I received a BFA in Graphic Design and a minor in Women’s Studies.

Art has always been a part of my life, it is a form of meditation and outlet for me. I absolutely love experiencing with all mediums and see where my imagination can go. As much as I loved working in the digital design world, I realized that being on a computer for more than 10 hours a day got too one dimensional for me, and that’s where I took on painting more than ever.

When people ask me what I want to do with my life, I always respond with, “I want to live a creative life” and I want to do just that. I label myself a designer because I believe that you can design anything, whether it is a canvas, an interior space, food, there are no limits, and that to me is incredibly exciting!

Please tell us about your art.
My style is risqué. I know I mentioned this in the previous question but I love experimenting, and my art breaks the boundaries of pop art. Not only am I using real beautiful women as the main subject for my pieces, but there is an empowering meaning behind each one.

By using brands and slogans that we as a society are familiar with, I noticed that women aren’t always represented positively. I believe that women’s sexuality should be celebrated through the use of vivid imagery, color and of course, a hint of diamond dust. If I were to describe my art in one word, it is definitely empowering.

The piece that caught people’s attention right away were my Maneaters. They were inspired by the outline of the Marlboro cigarettes, and I used 80’s Madonna issues as the background to give texture, and I then painted a female figure which each piece had a different color and angle to give it some variety. But this is what gets people even more excited, no two pieces are ever alike. I do not replicate, or make copies of any of my pieces because I always loved the idea of when you acquire a piece, you are truly attaining something unique, just like we all are, unique and special in our own way.

Once my Maneaters were complete, I went on to create my “Corps●poration” series where I played with many slogans and turned them into empowering words for women.

I had no idea that my series would catch so many people’s attention. I had no idea that I would have my first solo show at Bergamot Art Center this past June. It was such an incredible experience. The craziest part was that I went in with no expectation, I had a guest list that was completed at full capacity, and sold out of my Maneaters. I was in complete shock because the whole time I kept thinking that I just painted for myself. I painted a series on accident, I had no intention of having a solo show, nor did I expect to sell anything, it was truly a humble surprise!

Many people come up to me at my show saying that my series was unique and my show was a giant party! I had designed the whole interior space and color coordinated different parts of the room, I designed my own neon sign which was placed above the bar I had set up, I also made all the pastries (yes I am a baker too!) because I wanted the audience to feel like they were walking into a creative space and that everything was executed by a designer.

What I want people to take away from me and my art is a positive impact. I want you to feel that you are owning a work of art that is also part of a movement. This is an amazing time to be a woman, and I feel incredibly blessed to make art for women by a woman. I want my art to be a conversation starter in someone’s home. I want people to recognize me as “the boob and bootie” artist because why not?! My art is raw, unfiltered, and incredibly fun. I am not limited to paint on canvas only, but my art is applied to all forms of medium from surfboard to Louis Vuittons, because I challenge a controversial topic to be painted on surfaces that we may not imagine it to be painted on. And yes I said, Louis Vuitton because I am also known for painting the “Bootie on the Louis” which is literally a bootie painted on LV bag.

Given everything that is going on in the world today, do you think the role of artists has changed? How do local, national or international events and issues affect your art?
I definitely think that the role of artists has evolved. Since social media is part of our culture now, artists are able to expose their creativity and self-expression to the world faster than ever now.

I believe that art can start a movement, I believe that art can make an impact. Artists have an advantage as we are visual communicators and once shared through social media, we can evoke change. Artists are able to create such impactful work that it brings us all together and starts a conversation.

I also believe that artists are taken more seriously now, are able to make it a living which is something our parent’s generation would have never imagined!

Women have more power than ever right now, and since my art is bold and empowering, I definitely think there is a market for it. The women I paint are of all shapes and sizes, and I encourage women of all ages to be subjects of my work because beauty standards cannot be defined as one idea, I mean how can it? We are all different, and that’s what makes us beautiful, we all have something different to offer, and that is what I want my art to reflect. The diverse beauty our world has to offer and why not celebrate that with empowering words and some glitter because we all deserve to sparkle.

How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
If you want to stay up to date with my everyday art, I am pretty active on my art account on Instagram where I post videos with some throwback 90’s hip-hop which is always a good time! I also post a lot of detail shots and videos of my art because I feel like a simple photo doesn’t do the effect of the resin and diamond dust justice so definitely check my profile out!

You can also access my work on my website where you can inquire pieces and/or send me info on a commissioned piece you are interested in.

I am also planning on having another show in the next few months so if you would like to attend you should definitely follow my Instagram for more info!