Emily Perez Torpey Arts Co

Prints Shop

Selected Works

This is your reminder to let yourself off the hook every once in a while 🐠

Dad joke of the day: why did the fish blush? … because it saw the ocean’s bottom Piece name: hanging on the hook Size: 28’’ by 23’’

Often, the hardest battles aren’t about disappointing others, but about falling short of our own expectations. And sometimes, it feels like no matter how hard you try, those expectations are impossible to fully meet. This piece is an investigation into what it feels like to be driven and sometimes burdened by that internal voice

Dad joke of the day: why didn’t the red whistles ever get invited to parties? … because they always blow the vibe! Title: red, red whistle Size: 38’’ by 36’’

This piece was inspired by my last one—born out of a desire to bring some order to the chaos. Things are finally clicking into place, even if it’s still a bit of a puzzle figuring out where it all begins and ends

Dad joke of the day: Why did the puzzle piece get so dramatic? … it found out it was just one piece in someone else’s big picture Name: Puzzle piece #3 Size: 12” by 10”

Puzzle Piece #2 is the second installment in my ongoing puzzle series— this series explores the quiet complexity of trying to piece together who we are from the scattered moments, experiences, and identities we’ve gathered along the way. Sometimes, the pieces don’t fit the way we expect. But even in their imperfection, there’s beauty. This work and series is a reminder that something good can emerge, even when the pieces resist perfect alignment.

Dad joke of the day: What did the detective say about the missing puzzle piece? … Looks like this case just got a bit puzzling

Dad joke of the week: Why did the nose get a ring? 👃 … Cause it wanted to nose how to shine ✨

About Emily Perez Torpey

Hello! I’m not going to give you the typical spiel about how art connects me to my transcendent higher self on the path to enlightenment. Blah blah blah—you’ve read that a thousand times.

But fine, if you insist—I’m from Rochester, New York. I went to Boston College, studied accounting (I know—cue cough—financial stability and credibility). But truthfully, I felt totally out of place in the corporate accounting world. So after graduation I did something audacious: I broke free from my excel spreadsheet chains (okay too much artist talk… reeling it back in) and found a way to blend my practical background with something I actually love—ART.

Over the past two years, I've lived bicoastally—creating art and working across various creative sectors and galleries in Los Angeles. I'm now based in New York City, so you may have seen my work exhibited on both coasts. The influence of both the East and West Coast is deeply embedded in my practice.

Every painting I make is tied to something personal—whatever’s going on in my life or rattling around in my brain. Before I start a piece, I open my “feelings notebook” (yes, I really call it that—original, I know) and write for 15 minutes. Sometimes it’s a memory, sometimes a nagging thought, sometimes a random spark. It’s kind of like therapy, just with more paint and less copay.

Anyway, I invite you to come along on this journey with me and experience what it means to be an artist through an actual artist lense