Ann Strassman is an American figurative painter working in Boston. Antiques and the Arts Weekly vividly describes her style as “expressive realism” that “evolves from an unforgiving eye which she has developed through experience. Through the use of exaggerated brushwork and dramatic tones she creates psychological tension. The vocabulary may well be German Expressionism and London school, but the vision is all her own.” 

Such compelling thought exercises led Strassman to the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, where she developed the skills to bring her thoughts to life on canvases and cardboard. Chance encounters, mundane events, and curiosity contribute to her creativity.

Revealing the person behind the mask is an irresistible mission. The process starts with purposeful wandering, camera in hand, to find and capture raw images of reality which she then translates into her worldview. In the studio, Strassman builds layer upon layer while simultaneously employing an abrasive methodology giving rise to a physically textured substrate. 

Strassman portrays the life forces within her subjects, which are not always comforting. The results of her labor-intensive investigations are riveting images of reality as she exposes that which hides in the shadows. Her subject is life.