Bonnie Luria, born in New York City, lived there until ten years ago, when St. Croix tempted her away. As good a temptation as any, she thought. Drawing and painting were always part of her passions and interests since childhood. She attended Parsons School of Design in NYC, followed by a long and successful career as textile designer and marketing director for several European companies, whose
client bases included Armani and Calvin Klein. For many years, Bonnie Luria was famed for her unique jewelry designs: intricate, hand painted portraits depicting
Byzantine icons that were sold exclusively by Henri Bendel in NYC and to private collectors.
After raising her son and developing a successful career, a visceral response to the smell of linseed oil and paint roused her to pursue larger painting again. As Caribbean life infused its tropical medicine into her city soaked soul, Bonnie's preferred subjects naturally shifted towards painting the people of the West Indies in their diverse and daily lives. Her extensive background in fashion and textiles, along with a strong sense of color relationships and surface textures are reflected in her vibrant works. She has enjoyed great successes with her one-woman shows at Maufe Gallery and Undercover Books and Gallery, as well as partaking in group shows at the Good Hope Fine Art Show and Artists for Animals.
Working from her home studio, she finds inspiration from a personal archive of her own photographs as well as real life. Bonnie is a volunteer for The VI Farmer's Cooperative and the Sunshine Foundation - two organizations whose missions resound loudly with her: local, fresh food and responsible pet ownership. Two dogs, two cats and one Energizer Bunny husband keep her days filled when she isn't painting.
