Lydia Baker (b. 1990, Norfolk, Virginia) is a Brooklyn-based artist whose paintings and drawings explore the intersections of time, memory, desire, and familial connection. Her jewel-toned figurative works, rendered in oil on linen and wax pastel on sanded paper, often feature female protagonists in surreal, dreamlike environments where relationships unfold across emotional, psychological, and symbolic registers. Through soft overlays of color and undulating, womb-like forms, her practice meditates on cycles of the female body, questions of origin, and the complex dynamics of intimacy and care.

Baker’s work frequently engages with themes of reproductive technology, family-making, and intergenerational connection, drawing inspiration from the phenomenon of fetal microchimerism—the persistence of fetal and parental cells across generations—as a metaphor for enduring bonds. She earned her BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University and MFA from the New York Academy of Art, and has exhibited internationally with Massey Klein Gallery, London Art Fair, Wilder Gallery, Sugarlift Gallery, and Fortnight Institute. Her work has been featured in ArtNet, Juxtapoz, New American Paintings, and David Zwirner’s Platform, among others.