Brooklyn-based artist Maud Madsen is exploring the profound connections between memory, comfort, and domestic spaces through her captivating oil paintings currently on display at Half Gallery in New York City. Her solo exhibition, titled "Dweller," presents a collection of works that delve into childhood activities like building snow forts and creating pillow fortresses from couch cushions, transforming these simple acts into profound meditations on security and imagination.
Madsen's artistic approach draws clear inspiration from the dramatic and mysterious illustrations of renowned children's book author Chris Van Allsburg, whose acclaimed works include "Jumanji," "Polar Express," and "The Mysteries of Harris Burdick." Like Van Allsburg, Madsen centers her compositions around intimate domestic spaces—living rooms and bedrooms—that traditionally represent relaxation and dreaming, reimagining them as launching points for imaginative voyages.
The exhibition features several notable works, including "Snow Fort" (2025), an oil on linen piece measuring 78 x 90 inches, and "Twin Beds (Blanket Fort)" (2025), which spans an impressive 78 x 110 inches. These paintings showcase Madsen's skill in rendering nostalgic childhood activities, such as constructing blanket forts or playing with 1980s-era Fisher Price farm sets, while incorporating deep shadows, enigmatic settings, and uncanny situations that give her work its distinctive allure.
The gallery notes that because all of Madsen's compositions deal with childhood memories, "Maud is also quite literally dwelling on the past." This creates a double meaning in the show's title that acts as "a kind of trick mirror, or maybe force-multiplier, concentrating our attention on the spaces (many self-created) that her figures occupy."
A particularly striking aspect of Madsen's recent work is her consistent use of nighttime settings, with scenes illuminated only by distant porch lights or moonlight streaming through windows. This nocturnal atmosphere suggests that these moments might represent dreams or even the restless activities of insomnia. The nighttime setting carries symbolic weight, representing both endings and transitions—particularly the passage from adolescence to adulthood.
The exhibition also includes smaller works such as "Den" (2025) and "Canopy" (2025), both oil on linen pieces measuring 30 x 24 inches, as well as medium-sized paintings like "Lights Out," "Night Shift," and "Heavy Snow," all from 2025 and measuring 60 x 48 inches. These works collectively examine the concept of "nesting"—the human tendency to carefully organize and curate domestic spaces in ways that reflect personal tastes and needs while creating environments that feel comfortable, autonomous, and safe.
Madsen's paintings tap into what the artist describes as "the vast realm of memory," depicting herself engaged in the kinds of shelter-building activities typically associated with children's unbridled creativity and ingenuity. These structures—whether made of snow, pillows, or blankets—serve dual purposes as both products of imagination and actual shelters, highlighting the human need for both physical and psychological comfort.
"Dweller" continues its run at Half Gallery through October 2 in New York City. Art enthusiasts can explore more of Madsen's work through her official website and Instagram account, where additional examples of her evocative oil paintings demonstrate her ongoing exploration of memory, domesticity, and the liminal spaces between childhood and adulthood.
