How does a lesbian artist express lesbian sexuality in her work when lesbian desire is usually either ignored, denied, purified or assumed to be created for men? Halie Torris’ art appeals to the legions of lesbians craving sexy depictions of ourselves through a lesbian lens.
Halie Torris is a lesbian figurative painter who channels emotion and storytelling through large-scale oil works. Her art “centers on sapphic love, body language, and the nuances of connection, creating intimate narratives that challenge the male gaze.”
LH: How would you describe what you do?
HT: I paint women from a sapphic perspective, capturing the unspoken tension and tenderness between them. My focus is on creating safe spaces through my art, where female identity and desire can be honored without objectification.
LH: How does your lesbianism impact your artistic point of view, trajectory and how you create?
HT: My lesbian identity is the lens through which I see and interpret intimacy, longing, and love. It informs the emotional depth of my work, urging me to paint honest portrayals of women’s experiences that have often been overlooked or distorted in traditional art. My experiences also influence my paintings – I like to pull from my own emotions that I’ve developed in relationships/situationships. I grow along with my work. They are like diary posts of my life whether or not the subject is actually myself or not.
LH: Who or what are your artistic inspirations?
HT: Georgia O’Keeffe is a huge inspiration for me – as well as Edward Hopper, Frida Kahlo and Robert Mapplethorpe. I love how they pushed the boundaries of how far their work could go and especially with Mapplethorpe blending the lines between the erotic and sensual. I love taking my work just far enough to keep you wanting more.
LH: Have you faced certain hurdles in your career that are related to your sexual orientation? Have you experienced tokenism?
HT: Yes… I think a bit of both. To actually begin painting women together was a huge hurdle for me, but it was so liberating when I did. It became second nature. As for tokenism, I think I may have, but I also take a certain pride in it. Being a lesbian artist means I’m sometimes put into a box, but it also deepens my resolve to stay true to my vision. In a way, these hurdles have only fueled my commitment to celebrating sapphic love in a way that honors its depth and integrity. I also know my skills as an artist in general and am confident I can make a good painting.
LH: What do you love about being a lesbian artist?
HT: Painting women – can this be my answer? That and the freedom to be one. There’s freedom in painting from a place of personal truth, especially when it involves a narrative that connects to your own and also others. Connecting with other lesbians on my platform has been the most empowering thing.
LH: What makes you angry, as a lesbian artist?
HT: I’m frustrated by how quickly my paintings can be labelled “hypersexual,” leading to censorship or content flags. My tiktoks and reels get flagged on occasion and it’s beyond frustrating. There’s a hypocrisy in celebrating other forms of figurative art while deeming sapphic expression as too explicit or “inappropriate.” I’ve found workarounds with camera cropping and not revealing my final painting directly, but it makes me nervous most times.
LH: What’s a random fact about you?
HT: I love horses and cowboy-themed stuff. I went to the desert in September and fell in love with the aesthetics there. I’m thinking about doing a cowgirl-style painting and playing around with that… paired with Chappell’s new country song so stay tuned for that.
Leave a Reply