Today we’d like to introduce you to Jess Self.
Hi Jess, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I began my art career in 2014 when I graduated with a BFA in Sculpture at Warren Wilson College in NC. I moved to Atlanta to work on my Master’s degree at Georgia State University in 2018 and have been here ever since. In 2021, soon after I graduated, I was awarded the prestigious Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation grant, which allowed me to conduct research abroad for a big dream project. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would win the award, so my proposal was ambitious.
From May to October 2021, I was given the incredible opportunity to go to Nepal, Mongolia, South Korea, the Phillipines and Papua New Guinea. My wise, wild, and healing women series titled “Selah” was initially focused on making sculptures that captured the essence of shaman women I met during this expansive travel, in conjunction with the women I seek healing from locally. However, when making the work, it turned into so much more. I set out to explore how different cultures’ beliefs overlap to create a web of connections by seeking its presence in places that may seem, on the surface, to have very little in common. Combining these universal themes with the stories and bodies of real women creates a tangible way for us to ponder, promote, and celebrate women’s empowerment and our innate strength, mysticism, and wisdom while exploring healing for both those who give and receive it. However, the project morphed into something much more that I am still unclear on how to describe or write about. I am finally wrapping up this body of work which now consists of six sculptures and some Audio/Video elements, and will be exhibiting it soon at Echo Contemporary Art Sept 22-Oct 28.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I began by making life casts of my mentor, mother, and best friends. During this process, many interesting things happened. My friend and mentor Lara fainted while making her body mold, causing it to warp. She had undergone chemotherapy for her metastatic cancer the day before, and even though I don’t think this is what caused her to faint, I am sure it did not help. Upon my return to the studio, I started to assess the damaged mold. While doing so, I noticed my fingers were beginning to numb. I called Lara, and we both gasped when we realized her chemotherapy had been sweat into the mold as well. I could not work with the mold because it was dangerous and because it was warped. I had to figure out how to salvage the work I had done, I could not put her through that process again, and did not want her generous involvement to go to waste.
For the next six months straight, I set out to fix her mold. My friend was dying, and this process forced me to think about this reality every day. I was literally doing surgery on this mold and its casts trying to fix her. This was a ritual, a ceremony that had found me when I needed it. As I created her sculpture, Lara was sent updates and would always surprise me by sending me scans of her test results showing that where I had made clusters of embedded ceremonial materials was coincidentally where her tumors were or where she had scars from the tubes and ports put into her. We were deeper connected than we had ever been before. I completed this sculpture on 5/26/23. Lara passed away on 5/29/23. I am so thankful that she was able to see it finished before her death. And although I am still completely devastated that I lost my friend, I am thankful for the ritual of working on her body and making this sculpture that helped me process this time in my life.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am primarily a figurative sculptor and use a variety of materials to make my work. I am particularly fond of textiles and the process of mold-making. My art has always been deeply personal. My previous work allowed me to work through past trauma, evaluate my growth, and share my journey. It was well received, and I think it gives viewers the opportunity to reflect on their own story. Creating that connection is very important to me. I can still hardly believe it, but my series titled “Knowing Together with an Other” made me a Hudgens Prize Nominee in 2021.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
I work really hard but feel really lucky. I just want to encourage others in my field to use these application opportunities to explore. If you could be doing anything right now, what would it be? The process of applying for grants is a full-time job, but it allows you the unique opportunity to explore yourself and dream big. They are an outlet that allows you to an excuse or maybe just the permission you need to do chase them. Just because you have an unconventional career path does not mean you are not worthy of doing whatever you want.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.JessLself.com
- Instagram: @art.felt.jess
