About Jan Kathleen Reyes
Jan Kathleen Reyes embraces fully the freedom to create art purely for self-expression. This collection is a reflection of her growth from self-acceptance to self-love, emulating the flourishing beauty and perpetual goodness within herself and her surroundings. Painting is a natural, intuitive, and spiritual process for her. By employing a range of other materials—fabric, wallpaper, decorative stationary, and dried flowers—she sought to delve into the relationship between the paint and the mixed media, its harmony and its tension. Emotion guides her process, with warm and vibrant colors embodying the emotions she feels. Her childhood spent in the sunny Philippines and move to the US during her early teen years encouraged her to explore themes of belonging and memory. She is a student at Rutgers University-Newark, double majoring in Graphic Design and Fine Arts in Painting with a minor in Art History, and is slated to graduate in May of 2021.
New Brunswick Art Salon 2021 – Oil and Mixed Media: “Bonds Beyond Time”
Artist Personal Website: https://www.jankathleenreyes.com/
Email: JanKathleenArt@Gmail.com
Artist Statement
In this series, I had the chance to fully embrace my freedom and create art that is purely a form of self expression. I have learned to fully trust my instincts as well my painting process. I learned that I have to be at peace within my self to be able to create something I can be proud of, and I deal with this through journaling and praying. This collection is a form of self reflection, whereas I reflect the growth of my self acceptance evolving into self love, as I emulate and flourish the beauty/goodness within me and my surroundings.
When painting. I do not involve much planning and calculations but it is a natural, intuitive and spiritual process. This series is a self exploration on how to expand my expression through my materials such as fabric, wallpaper, decorative paper and dried flowers I pressed myself. I tried to let myself feel the relationship and harmony between the paint and the mixed media materials; the push and pull between the two. I react to it by sewing onto the paper, or adding more paint strokes and textures. I use my emotions as guidance as to which steps to take next. I use warm and vibrant colors to express the love, joy and other emotions that I feel.
I am in pursuit to find the beauty and blessings in our everyday lives. I seek to be aware and in appreciation of the love, care and passion that we receive and emit within one another. It is difficult to put in words which is exactly why I express these thoughts and emotions through my art in hopes that people might experience/feel the same way. I wish for everyone to find peace, hope and love within themselves and share it with the world.
Exhibitions
Intertwined, Graphic Design Senior Capstone Show, Rutgers University-Newark, online exhibition 2021 (Forthcoming)
(title to be determined) Fine Arts Senior Capstone Show, Rutgers University-Newark, online exhibition 2021 (Forthcoming)
When She Rises, We All Rise, 118 Art Gallery, online gallery, 2021Arts in the Park, Highland Park, 2014-2018
Creative Brilliance 2015, Picasso Art Contest,Golden Artist Winner,online gallery, 2015
Botanicals, Light Space & Time Gallery, Special Merit Winner, online gallery, 2015
Senior Spotlight, Edison High School, Edison NJ, 2014
Winter Arts Bazaar, Highland Park NJ, 2014
National Art Honors Society, Edison High School, Edison NJ, 2013 & 2014
Edison High School Student Exhibition, Edison Township Municipal Complex, 2013