Elizabeth Knowles

Organic patterns inspire Elizabeth Knowles’ work. Some are biological patterns on the cellular level of organisms. Others are geological patterns of earth's natural landscapes. Through painting and sculpture, Knowles explores dynamic patterns in nature, connecting landscapes and life forms, physics and physiology, growth and form.

Born and raised in St Louis, Missouri into in a family of naturalists and scientists (her father William S Knowles was a 2001 Nobel Laureate in chemistry), Knowles went on to receive her B.A. from Pomona College in Claremont, California, and her M.F.A. from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Current activities include site-specific installations for Bank of America Plaza’s Green Exhibit, Charlotte, North Carolina, the Housatonic Museum, Bridgeport, Connecticut, Artspace, New Haven, Connecticut, Chesterwood National Trust, Stockbridge, Massachusetts, outdoor sculpture for Governor’s Island, New York, New York (pictured in SCULPTURE), and Jenkins Arboretum in Devon, Pennsylvania. She has created numerous art installations for the windows at Saks Fifth Avenue pairing her work with Donna Karan, Alexander McQueen, and Issey Miyake. Corporate commissions include site-specific paintings for the Galleon Group, New York, New York, and Enclave Capital, New York, New York. She has received numerous awards including grants from the Puffin Foundation, Miami Beach Cultural Council, E. D. Foundation, Artist's Space, Ludwig Vogelstein Foundation, The Millay Colony, Yaddo, and The Banff Centre.