ARTIST STATEMENT
This work explores the discomfort surrounding social and systemic injustices, with particular focus on those endured by women. While rooted in personal experience, each piece offers a window into the silent suffering that often defines the human condition. These works give form to what is usually left unspoken, challenging avoidance with visual presence and opening a space for dialogue and recognition.
From a young age, many girls are taught to be “ladylike” by not complaining or speaking out of turn. Growing up within this expectation, I learned to smile, serve others, and stay quiet even in moments of deep discomfort. Speaking up often led to being belittled, so silence became survival. It wasn’t until adulthood that I began to find my voice and resist the behaviors and systems that had once gone unquestioned.
My work includes beads and found materials to echo the complexity of lived experiences while sculptural forms disrupt the space, refusing to be ignored. Each piece exists as both question and accusation, carrying not just my voice but resonances of others whose struggles are often overlooked. This practice does not seek resolution but instead holds space for tension and dialogue. The work is both personal and collective, a reflection on what has been hidden, dismissed, or endured in silence. Although one may initially feel discomfort when observing the pieces, the work is constantly growing, open for the audience to interact with, offers an outlet for the silent voices to be heard, and begs for conversation amongst viewers.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Contemporary painter and artist Julia Niepert [American, b. 2001] creates deeply compelling works that balance elegance with unease. Her practice ranges from plein air landscapes painted with sensitivity to light, to darker, concept-driven multidisciplinary pieces exploring themes of gender, societal injustice, and the unseen forces shaping human experience. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Art Education and Bachelor of Fine Arts with a focus in painting from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 2025. Now living and working in Illinois, she maintains a growing presence as an emerging artist, with a body of work that resonates across both local exhibitions and the broader conversation of contemporary art.
© Julia Niepert