Tory Folliard Gallery is pleased to present Paula Swaydan Grebel: It’s Not What It Isn’t, a new exhibition of paintings that invites us into the artist’s sumptuous interiors and carefully composed indoor worlds.

Filled with color and brought to life through confident, expressive brushwork, Wisconsin artist Paula Swaydan Grebel’s paintings capture quiet moments of everyday life. Light-drenched rooms, intimate corners, and thoughtfully arranged objects become rich visual experiences. Her paintings balance observation with interpretation, transforming familiar surroundings into something both personal and unexpected.

Born in California, Swaydan Grebel received her BFA from California State University, Long Beach, with an emphasis in figure drawing and a minor in textiles. After moving to Wisconsin in the 1990s, she continued her education by studying with leading perceptual painters whose work challenged traditional ideas of observational painting. Her broad knowledge of art history and theory also informs her distinctive approach to color, composition, and space.

Swaydan Grebel’s work can be found in numerous public and private collections throughout the United States and internationally.