“my intent is to give beauty back to the grotesque - overlooked or unexpected”
JAY JANSEN is a sculpture artist based in New York originally from Seattle. Ms Jansen uses found objects and discarded materials that demands her viewer to look closer — often engaging more than one of our senses. Drain hair that is usually discarded in disgust made into a beautiful pantsuit plays with the mind - is it gross? is it stunning? Hopefully all of the above. 900 Fish Oil Pills look stunning in the sunlight but when the viewer gets closer the smell of fish radiates from the glistening mass — dazzling the eyes and accosting the nose. 100Hairballs — a 100 piece series made from the brushings of her black cat, Büs — changes the idea of the putrid mass of vomited up hairball into perfect spheres to find humor in new form. Natural materials have always caught her fancy — a regular stone is transformed by the inherent line made by sediment to create a wishing rock — collected on the beaches of the PNW and brought back to New York to make a 30 pieces series “Wishing for a …” is made of 370 stones — each piece bringing a new wish to the world. Continuing to find treasured materials to question our reality of worthiness is the goal of every piece.
After graduating with a Bachelors of Science in Sculptural Fine Arts from the University of Oregon, Ms Jansen headed to New York looking to break into the art scene. Her work has been shown in galleries all over Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens.
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2011
Día de Los Muertos, Maude Kerns Gallery, Eugene Oregon / September - October 2011
2014
Everyone Will be Famous for 12in, Castle Fitzjohns Gallery, New York New York / August 2014
2015
The QAS, Webster Hall, New York New York / August 30, 2015
The Happening III, Cloud City, Brooklyn New York / September 2015
2016
The Happening IV, Local Project Art Space, Long Island City New York / April 2016
2023
New You Showcase, One Art Space, New York New York / January 20 - 22, 2023
Anonymously Iran, Culture Lab, Long Island City New York / February 9 - March 26, 2023
The Barber Show, Astor Hair, New York New York / March 31 - April 28, 2023
Decoded, The Line, New York New York / August 24 - September 2, 2023
COLOR, Brooklyn Waterfront Artist Coalition, Brooklyn New York / September 31 - October 8, 2023
2024
Metamorphosis, SVA Online Gallery / May 6 - June 17, 2024
Detox Gallery Group Show, New York New York / June 22, 2024
SOLO SHOWS
2023
Dress Me In Color, Salon Orchard, New York New York / May 11 - July 6, 2023
RESIDENCIES
2024
The Artist Residency Project — Spring 2024 — School of Visual Arts / New York City
AWARDS
2023
New You Art Competition — 3rd place winner — https://weknowcity.com
The Barber Show Art Competition — 2nd place winner