Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Burleson.
Hi Jessica, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am a Panamanian-American artist & recent Knoxville transplant, from Salt Lake City Utah. I received a BFA from the University of Tennessee with a concentration in painting. I spent my childhood moving all across the US, and spent some time studying in Panama and Italy. I have always been a creator in one way or another. My parents are creators as well, my mom was a cake decorator for a moment when I was a just a babe which completely influenced my love of texture which you will see in my art.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Blessed with the intersectionality of being a hispanic woman in a world determined to treat us as objects, I would say no. It has not been a smooth road. The first of many #metoo moments I would experience in life, happened when I was just beginning grade school. I learned at a very young age that a safe space for me did not exist. I grew to despise my femininity. Not understanding that femininity wasn’t the cause of my pain. The power dynamic of our society & the consumption of femininity by others is what caused my pain. This has definitely impacted my views on discrimination which influences my art.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
As an artist, I would say my painting technique and activism set me apart from others. My work exploits the materiality of paint. I like to see how far I can push the paint until it is almost unrecognizable. I have always been fascinated with textured paintings and how it defeats the illusion that a painting is more than an object. The painting then exists in our reality, impacted by its surroundings just as we are.
My inspiration for creating is the consumption of divine femininity, nature & art. After healing from the traumas of my childhood; I learned my purpose is to speak to a version of equality that does not yet exist. My creations are an expression of my experiences as a hispanic woman & the voyeuristic gaze society has placed on femininity throughout history.
Composing impossibly thick, icing-like, touch worthy, feminine, floral elements. My works are both material & delicate with savory textures. A reflection of the embodiment of femininity & nature that is met by the world with an all-consuming hunger. A visual delicacy you can only hope to resist the temptation to touch. Testifying to the exploitation of femininity as a pound of flesh to be devoured. My work lives in a world where worth is not of the body but within one’s essence. Where femininity is allowed to remain sacred and untouched by burden, blooming into its full potential. Living beyond objectification & allowed to accept our full spectrum of self.
What matters most to you?
To create a future where none of us have to compromise any part of who we are to be worthy of belonging.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@JessicaBurlesonArt.com
- Website: www.JessicaBurlesonArt.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/jess_burleson
Image Credits
Emily Key
