Fay Sanders' Studio Visit Reveals Mysterious Figurative Paintings in Ridgewood

Liam Otero visited Fay Sanders in her Ridgewood, Queens studio on March 16th, where the Bronx-born figurative painter presented a new body of work. Sanders, who works on the upper floor of a church, sought objective feedback on paintings that explore psychological dimensions through solitary figures in nocturnal settings. The series includes works like Seekers (2024), the largest piece featuring a young man and woman, and Safe With Me (2025), where a woman calmly holds a coiled snake. Other notable paintings are Seekers 2 (2025), showing a woman crouching near a hole with wolf-like creatures, and Wishing Well (2024), depicting a figure in water possibly holding a gold coin. A painting called Knife Walk (2025), discovered in storage, features the same female figure walking through a forest clutching a knife. Sanders recently completed a month-long residency at ON:: View Artist Residency in Savannah, Georgia in January, which produced several works from early this year. The artist describes her paintings as introspective scenes encouraging open-ended readings, avoiding obvious interpretations to maintain mystery. Otero compared Sanders' approach favorably to Phoebe Helander's exhibition Paintings from the Orange Room at P.P.O.W. Gallery in Tribeca last fall/winter, noting Sanders' work avoids being 'too safe' formally. The studio visit was arranged after Sanders reached out via Instagram, and Otero found the paintings compelling for their ability to generate ongoing questions and engagement.