BIO
Lindsay Overbey was born in Memphis, Tennessee in 1983. She received a Bachelors of Fine Art in Painting from The University of Memphis in 2007. In 2026, she was selected as an exhibiting artist for Art by Design, an event supporting ARTSmemphis grantmaking, benefiting local artists and arts organizations across the Mid-South. That same year, one of her works was chosen for inclusion in a public art collection by The UrbanArt Commission. In 2024, She received the ARTSmemphis ARTSassist Grant for visual art. Overbey has exhibited across the South and her work has been featured in Thought Art and Candy Floss Magazine. Overbey lives and works in her home studio in Germantown, Tennessee.
statement
In my recent work, I am creating ethereal, yet emotionally heavy worlds to evoke curiosity within the viewer. Exploring new landscapes and environments ignites my creativity and deeply inspires my work. There is an excitement and urgency to relay that information- colors, shapes, movement and remnants that stay with me. I utilize mark making and shapes as secret symbols to represent memories, feelings and desires much like icons on a map.
I am interested in making shapes shift seamlessly between clarity and the overall haziness of so much indistinct information. The calculated arrangement of marks becomes the organizing structure that holds the work together. I construct images using a delicate balance of choice and process. The diverse array of information is layered and strung together into an ideal whole. A vocabulary of marks are used to ground areas of the painting. Each stroke influences the next in a controlled, spontaneous process that adds up to an alluring language. This intuitive way of working allows me to gradually build layers as the painting develops.
My work is an abstraction based on choice of forms, space and color relationships. My imagery often has a duality that evokes mixed emotions- there is a feeling of pleasantness mixed with somberness. Dichotomies are a recurring theme in my work. The juxtaposing parts create a sense of wonder, intrigue and adventure. My paintings explore the freedom of defying obstacles and letting joy shine through- flourishing in darkness. Having skin cancer as an adolescent gave me a greater appreciation to see life in rosy hues, while embracing the difficult journey.