ARTIST STATEMENT
It’s almost impossible for me to separate my mental health and my art practice. Everything I do to create is fueled by an explosion of thoughts and feelings that constantly run through my head. I use art to portray those which I’d rather not vocalize. There’s a lot of rage and tension but also lots of pleasure counteracting it, and the only way to truly release it is with my hands on a canvas. Even through these tough past years and grueling world, art is always constant. The process of creating and sharing, whether it’s to inspire others or shock them, is something that can never be taken away. Being an artist is a powerful way to cope, but so is being the viewer. I love looking at a piece and being able to relate it back to my own experiences even if they aren’t exactly what everyone is seeing, or what the artist intended. Which is the mindset I have when creating my own art. I want the viewer to understand me because of what they are seeing reflected in themselves. Creating a bond without words or faces, just art. To me it’s about healing both individually and through community. I use my paintings to speak for me when I can’t do it with words, and I use art made by others to help me place feelings I can’t yet identify. Essentially it all comes down to mental health. My mental health. And how that either aids or clouds my vision, how it affects my ability to express myself, and how eventually I have to make a choice about how to settle the noise. I choose to create, to express, to feel, to understand. To use art as a vehicle of support for anyone who is willing to take it. And for me. My works tell a story about a point in time because they are visual representations of the world through my unique lens. As I try to navigate this world I am glad to have an outlet to share with others and have shared with me.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Jennifer Kempf was born in raised in Chicago, only briefly leaving to attend the University of Denver where she obtained degrees in Studio Art, Sociology, and Gender Studies. Jennifer uses her art to express the feelings that are easier unsaid and hopes to bring others together using a voyeuristic art practice. As if the artist and viewer are watching each other but neither is aware. This allows her work to be uninhibited and a true peek into the mind of the artist. Jennifer primarily uses oil paint with experimentations in mixed media and textiles. She is currently working on a series regarding her own experiences with femininity in society by combining paintings with crochet and embroidery.
© Jennifer Kempf