Lynn Rubenzer is a San Francisco-based artist whose oil paintings explore the social fabric embedded within figurative and landscape forms. Her densely layered cityscapes—many loosely inspired by San Francisco—rise and fall like waves across a hilly terrain, forming a sea of humanity where pterodactyls glide like angels from a cautionary tale, and watchful eyes peer out from windows and building cracks, reminding us of the lives held within the structures.

 Lynn begins her process with a monochromatic underpainting—compositions that emerge slowly, like ghost ships through fog. From there, she builds up the surface with multiple layers of paint, adding, obscuring, and reimagining earlier lines and colors. Her urban landscapes serve as visual metaphors for the interconnectedness of city life, capturing the pulse of humanity as it manifests through architecture.

Biography

Awarded ‘Best Of Bay’ by San Francisco Magazine for her commissioned portraits of San Francisco, Lynn has exhibited at institutions including Museum of Northern California Art (MONCA), Stanford University, San Francisco City Hall, and at numerous art galleries and local non-profits. In addition to painting, Lynn has created fantastical storefront window installations at 826 VALENCIA’s Pirate Supply Store, the renowned non-profit writing center in the Mission [2008-2011]. Lynn has also completed several commissioned public murals including at San Francisco’s Salesforce Transit Center [2018], Midway Arts Complex [2015], and Duffy’s Tavern [2024]. Her work has been published on the cover of TapeOp Magazine and the novel “All Night Movie” by Alicia Borinsky (Northwestern University Press).

Lynn paints full-time at her Hunters Point Shipyard studio and opens her doors to the public twice a year for Open Studios. Studio visits welcome by appointment.