Urgent Museum Notice

Audrey Niffenegger

A light-skinned adult woman smiles while standing against a white wall beside two paintings that resemble her in theatrical costumes. She has long red hair, and wears glasses, earrings, and a brown jacket over a matching brown dress with subtle, organic stripes on them.

The artist at the opening of Awake in the Dream World: The Art of Audrey Niffenegger, 2013

Born in 1963

Unlike her novels, Niffenegger’s artist’s books reveal their stories primarily in images, with text playing a minor role. The artist has a penchant for fairy tales, surrealism, and the macabre, which she draws upon to craft powerful and unusual narratives.

The heroines of Niffenegger’s visual novels are usually young women. They are brave, daring, and independent. Sometimes the artist invents their adventures. At other times, she takes inspiration from personal experiences, identifying with her characters’ trials, attempting to solve their problems, and celebrating their victories.

Niffenegger holds an MFA from Northwestern University and currently divides her time between Chicago and London. She is a professor in the Fiction Writing department at Columbia College Chicago. She has also taught printmaking and book arts at the Columbia College Center for Book and Paper Arts, which she helped found.

Artist Details

  • Name

    Audrey Niffenegger
  • Birth

    South Haven, Michigan, 1963

Related Posts