Gregory Kowalewski
b. 1954
Resides in New Orleans, LA

Gregory Kowalewski was born in Louisiana, and he’s got that great Cajun accent to prove it. After many years of working in construction he eventually moved to New Mexico to help his wife (now divorced) get her start as an artist. While his wife was struggling to create, Gregory began to make his own art, cutting up spare pieces of tin from his appliance repair work.  While his wife’s art career never blossomed, Gregory returned to New Orleans showing his work to a few art dealers.  They loved it, and it began to sell.  He’s now a star of the New Orleans folk art world.

Kowalewski has a sharp and subversive sense of humor which frequently reveals itself in his works.   He was once commissioned to make a work of a husband and wife riding their bikes. The couple decided they wouldn’t buy the completed piece because the wife felt her thighs looked too big. Gregory took this in stride, added a man with a gun to the piece, shooting holes in the couple, and sold it off to someone else.

Aside from the tin cut-out works, Gregory makes a variety of pieces out of just about anything he can find.  The Loft at Liz’s will be featuring his works for our 4th annual exhibit entitled “Diverted Destruction” wherein the works featured are primarily comprised of castoff refuse or recyclables.  Diverted Destruction 4 opens Saturday June 18th and runs through September 06, 2011.  For more information on this artist, image details or purchase inquiries please contact our gallery staff at (323) 939-4403 ext. 6.