Irene Dogmatic - Humor is the Best Revenge

“I got the name Irene Dogmatic, sort of as a joke, when I was doing

correspondence art and punk rock in SF during the 1970s. The name

stuck. Strangely I have often had people ask me if it's my real name.

My work is often a humorous attempt to see the world around me in a way I

can handle. It can be an absurdist view, and sometimes the humor is dark.

I try to see things in a way that can draw on the surreal aspects of life and

turn them into something that hopefully people can relate to, using animals

as metaphors for people."

Born in the Midwest and raised in California, Irene received her undergrad

degree from UC Berkeley and her masters from San Francisco State

College, now SFSU. She was an active participant in San Francisco’s early

punk scene and collaborated with a diverse community of creatives who

fueled her artistic vision. Irene also drew deep inspiration from her 12 years

living in New York City before ultimately returning to the Bay Area, where

she lives and works today.

Irene's work will be at Nielsen Arts from June 27th - August 29th.