Inspired by memories, visceral emotions, history, and a fascination with nature and the human psyche, the subjects behind Andrea Kowch’s figurative realist paintings are rooted in real-life emotions and experiences, resulting in narrative, allegorical images that illustrate parallels between the human experience and the mysteries of the natural world.

The lonely, desolate American landscape that encompasses the paintings serves as an exploration of the sacredness of nature and a reflection of the human soul, symbolizing all that is powerful, fragile, and eternal. These real, yet dreamlike scenarios serve as metaphors for the human condition, all maintaining a sense of uncertainty, engaging and motivating the viewer to uncover layers of mood and meaning to form conclusions from their own perspective, despite the central idea always being in front of them.
We all have something in common, and as active participants in the ever-changing modern world, the goal of Couch’s work is to remind viewers of these places that we sometimes feel no longer exist, and to recognize and honor them as a part of our history worth preserving.

Juxtaposing the human form with animals and the bygone wild American landscape, Couch’s work provides a glimpse into the “rooms,” the often chaotic spaces we possess within. The rural Midwestern landscape of her home state serves as a backdrop for a scene of human emotion. The animals present are vehicles for the feelings and hidden tensions repressed behind the human mask. Symbolic explorations of the psyche and events concerning our environment are expressed through the combination of these elements to transform personal ideas into universal metaphors.

Born in Detroit, Michigan, Andrea Couch has received numerous Best of Show awards in national and international exhibitions. She regularly exhibits her work in solo and group shows at museums and galleries around the world, including RJD Gallery in London, Dorothy Circus Gallery in Rome, Muskegon Museum of Art (where her solo retrospective Dream Fields debuted in 2013), MOCA Jacksonville, Grand Rapids Museum of Art, ArtPrize, Art Basel Miami, Art Show Los Angeles, ArtHamptons, and SCOPE NYC, which named Couch one of the world’s top 100 emerging artists in 2012.

She regularly appears on the covers of several national and international publications. Couch’s work can be found in both public and museum collections, such as the RW Norton Art Gallery Museum of the RW Norton Art Foundation, Muskegon Museum of Art, Grand Rapids Art Museum, Northbrook Library in Northbrook, Illinois, and significant private collections around the world. Couch lives and works in Michigan and is represented exclusively by RJD Gallery.