Today we’d like to introduce you to Liv Cook.
Hi Liv, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Liv Cook is a South Florida–based portrait artist originally from Pittsburgh, PA. With a background in classical ballet and training in makeup and esthetics, her work explores the expressive power of the human face and body. Influenced by the queer and alternative art scenes of the 1970s–90s, Cook blends makeup techniques with painting to create raw, multidimensional portraits that examine identity, vulnerability, and self-expression. In 2025, she received her first artist support grant from the Broward County Cultural Division for her debut solo show, Look What I Made, a collaborative portrait series exploring themes of identity, transformation, and the endurance of childhood imagination. She also began her first residency with Bailey Contemporary Arts in Pompano Beach.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely wasn’t smooth from the start, but things have started to pick up and I now see myself on a much more defined path. I moved to South Florida my senior year of high school and after personal events and struggles with mental health I got my GED instead of finishing my final year. I pursued makeup professionally in 2022-2023 while trying to get back into my own art on my own time with no expectations. I quickly started noticing the development of my identity as an artist and saw that as my work developed my relationship with and understanding of myself grew stronger. I always felt slightly out of place, but as I’ve pursued art and established my perspective within it I found comfort and acceptance as I am, not pretending or trying to appeal to anything.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My work explores authenticity, individuality, and vulnerability through portraits that blend realism and abstraction. I start with a monochromatic acrylic portrait of the face, then enhance certain features using glitter, oil, and other mixed media. The contrast between the precise realism and the dynamic, layered materials highlights the complexity of human expression and challenges societal expectations of beauty and identity.
Each piece encourages viewers to reflect on how we define ourselves and others. By celebrating individuality and embracing cultural diversity, my work questions predefined labels and honors the beauty that arises from personal and collective identity. Through this process, I aim to push the boundaries of my artistic technique while creating unique compositions that reflect the essence of each subject.
I use my creative process as a form of meditative introspection, exploring the concept of ‘self’ both internally and externally. I examine recurring themes in my life and seek to express them authentically through my art. Incorporating editorial shoots into my practice, I create makeup looks specifically for my paintings and photographs myself wearing them. This process bridges the 2D and 3D, allowing me to compose a universe for my work to inhabit and expand my artistic expression beyond the confines of traditional painting.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Seeing the beauty of real life, people, the earth, etc. I love the rawness of human expression or interaction and the beauty of the earth and universe we inhabit. As society develops people grow further or detach from their physical surroundings, so seeing those moments that are made purely by existing in the moment and being present with what’s around or interacting with you makes me happy. Remembering that we are just another species of living being experiencing this world.
Pricing:
- email livcooked@gmail.com for inquiries
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/livcooked
