Pedaling Art: Taliah Lempert's Passion for Bicycles Inspires a Creative Journey

Taliah Lempert, a visual artist based in the vibrant borough of Brooklyn, New York, has carved a unique niche for herself in the art world by fusing her two greatest passions: painting and bicycles. With a background in fine arts education, including studies at the New York Academy of Art and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Lempert’s journey has led her to become a celebrated artist known for her remarkable bicycle-themed artwork.

For over a quarter-century, Lempert has dedicated herself to painting bicycles with meticulous attention to detail and a deep appreciation for their design. Her fascination with bikes traces back to her upbringing in Ithaca, New York, where family rides and the picturesque landscapes of the region left a lasting impression. Although Lempert’s artistic journey initially focused on other subjects, a chance encounter with a vintage Italian folding bike on a New York City street reignited her love for cycling and set her on a unique artistic path.

“Design wise, it was really cute and it was 80 bucks, so I bought it,” she says. “And I asked the bike shop guy for directions to the Brooklyn Bridge. And I remember going up the bridge and thinking I gotta get this thing over the bridge, or I just wasted money, you know, willing myself to get it over the bridge. And then I started riding for transportation, and it was so awesome. And just riding everywhere and learning the city.”

In the studio with a new live model

At the time, buoyed by her rekindled love of all things two-wheeled, Lempert delved deep into the city’s burgeoning cycling community in the heydays of bike messengers, track bikes and alleycat racing.

“I started meeting more people who were riding and borrowing their bikes and getting into cycling more myself. I got into mostly track racing for like seven years. And a little bit of road racing and got really into the messenger/alleycat thing back in like 2000-ish, early 2000s. I would go to all the messenger races and I raced in a few, but I was often doing checkpoints and stuff.”

Lempert’s artistic evolution paralleled her deepening connection to cycling culture. She began borrowing bikes from friends and acquaintances, painting them from observation, and capturing the essence of each bike’s unique character. “There’s something very figurative about it. Very expressive,” she notes about the art of painting bicycles. “It’s between natural and mechanical. A bike, with its personalized touches, carries an almost organic quality.”

While continuing to paint her own bikes and those of friends, Lempert decided to share her creations with the world. She embarked on a mission to promote her work, sending out postcards, creating a website, and participating in street fairs and flea markets across New York City, including the renowned Brooklyn Flea. Her determination paid off, and she began to garner attention from both the cycling and art communities.

At the Brooklyn Flea

Lempert’s artwork goes beyond traditional canvas paintings; she has expanded her reach by licensing her original cycling imagery for a range of products, from limited edition prints and calendars to jigsaw puzzles and postcards. These creations have found their way into the hands of cycling enthusiasts and art aficionados alike. Collaborations with organizations like the NYC DOT Urban Arts Program and The Museum of Modern Art Design Store have further solidified her reputation as a notable figure in the intersection of art and cycling.

Her dedication to both her craft and the cycling world has led to remarkable opportunities, such as painting iconic bicycles ridden by legendary cyclists such as Greg Lemond and Connie Carpenter. Her artwork has graced the walls of prestigious galleries and alternative spaces worldwide, including Apex Art, Elk Gallery, and the City Reliquary in Brooklyn, among others.

And at home in Brooklyn where she lives with her partner who owns a bike shop, in addition to a fairly large quiver of bicycles she owns herself, she has noticed the change on the streets as more and more people are embracing cycling to get around town on the daily.

“There’s a lot more people riding which is awesome,” she says. “It used to be like I would know everybody if I was out riding and I saw people riding for transportation, not anymore.”

She still has her favorite places to ride though.

“I love riding in New York City, I think it’s a great city for cycling. And I love riding out to the beaches,” she says. “Like yesterday, I was at a friend’s out in Staten Island and you know I took the ferry then rode my bike. It’s just the best way of doing transportation here. And then I lI pretty regularly like a couple of times a month go with my riding buddy and go on the West Side Bike Path all the way up to the George Washington Bridge. And then we’ll go to the Ranger station and do this like River Road ride, which is so beautiful, and right along the river.”

“If you want to really go for a ride, you probably want to rent a bicycle from a bike shop and I mean, if I were visiting New York and it’s a hot day today, I would ride out to the Rockaways and jump in the ocean.” She also suggests a stop at the iconic Principles GI Coffee House.

In recent years, Lempert’s work has taken her in various creative directions, yet, at its core, her art continues to celebrate the beauty and spirit of the bicycle. For Taliah Lempert, the canvas of a bike frame is a story waiting to be told—a story of the open road, adventure, and the enduring love for the two-wheeled marvel that has been her muse for over two decades.