Artist. Designer. Educator.
Catherine Chesters makes layered abstract works in paint, collage, and printmaking that move between the organic and the otherworldly. Based in Sullivan County, Upstate New York, her practice is rooted in constant observation — of nature, of the human condition, of the beauty and difficulty of being alive. Recurring forms drawn from fungi and the oceanic world emerge across her surfaces intuitively, suggesting systems and forces that operate just beneath the visible.
Born in County Durham, England, Chesters trained at the London College of Communication, where she earned a BA (Hons) in Media Production Design, later adding advanced qualifications in graphic design and printmaking. She spent many years working as a graphic designer and art director in the entertainment industry — a career that gave her a rigorous foundation in composition and visual structure that quietly underpins everything she makes.
In March 2024 she committed fully to fine art practice, opening Chesters Studio in Barryville, NY — a working studio and gallery dedicated to artistic practice, education, and community exchange. Her work has been exhibited throughout New York and internationally, with collectors from London to Mallorca, and is represented by Cynthia Byrnes Art & Interiors and Elizabeth Sadoff Art Advisory.
Alongside her studio practice, Catherine teaches workshops and classes through Bethel Woods, local institutions, and her own studio — creating accessible, experimental art experiences for adults and emerging artists.
Recognition
Catherine’s work is represented by Cynthia Byrnes Art and Interiors and Elizabeth Sadoff Art Advisory. Artwork has been exhibited in New York City, at the Womankind Resilience Art Exhibition, the Wassaic Project, and the Delaware Valley Arts Alliance (DVAA), as well as internationally, with collectors from London to Mallorca.
Exhibition
2025 10/10-1025 Invisible Thread
Chesters 16 Old Brook Road Barryville NY - Collaboration/Jalena Hay
05/24 - 06/21 We are not Alone
Chesters 16 Old Brook Road Barryville NY- Collaboration/ David Barnett
12/21 - 01/21 The White Show
Chesters 16 Old Brook Road Barryville NY - Group Show
2024 05/ 16 - 03/3 Beauty In Break Down
Delaware Valley Arts Alliance, Narrowsburg - Solo Show
07/13-28 Hall & Chesters: Past Present Future
Chesters 16 Old Brook Road Barryville NY Collaboration
2023 01/21-02/12 Tranceformations Hall Space Barryville, NY - Collaborative show /Geoffrey Hutchinson)
2019 02/ 6-03/3, Fools Gold Delaware Valley Arts Alliance, Narrowsburg, NY - Solo Show
2018 09/27 -10/03/2018 RESILIENCE Group Show, One Space Art Space Warren Street. New York City
04/26-5/26 2018 Solo Show City Roots Realty Park Slope Brooklyn
05/09/2018 Change of State Summer Exhibition. Wassaic Project Maxon Mills, NY - Group Show