BIOGRAPHY
Born in San Francisco, California in 1990, Jennifer Hansen studied at the Academy of Art and received her BFA of Fine Art in 2012. She had shown with the Napa Art Museum, 111 Minna Gallery, as well as many others throughout Sonoma and San Francisco. She has also been featured on Juxtapoz Latin America and Gallery Nucleus. Jennifer is also a member of Clique, a local emerging female artist group from SF.
At the age of nineteen she came to know Jesus Christ personally through a TV ministry preacher teaching through Matthew 27 on the resurrection of Christ. Hit hard with the gospel truth, Hansen saw herself a sinner in need of the forgiveness and grace of Jesus which brought her to her knees weeping. Constrained by Christ’s love, this is the fire that motivates her in her work to proclaim the good news; Christ died and rose again to save sinners, according to the scriptures.
Isolation, and destruction are reoccurring themes prevalent throughout her dark art to show the effects and consequences of sin. Jennifer battled through depression, anger, and suicidal thoughts. Those experiences are commonly incorporated in her work by a disconnected figure in a large cityscape, as well as weeping or screaming individuals. The paintings are done with graphite, charcoal, and many translucent layers of oil. They express human depravity, destructive desire, and suffering in an urban desolate environment, all of which point of the need of the Savior.
At the age of nineteen she came to know Jesus Christ personally through a TV ministry preacher teaching through Matthew 27 on the resurrection of Christ. Hit hard with the gospel truth, Hansen saw herself a sinner in need of the forgiveness and grace of Jesus which brought her to her knees weeping. Constrained by Christ’s love, this is the fire that motivates her in her work to proclaim the good news; Christ died and rose again to save sinners, according to the scriptures.
Isolation, and destruction are reoccurring themes prevalent throughout her dark art to show the effects and consequences of sin. Jennifer battled through depression, anger, and suicidal thoughts. Those experiences are commonly incorporated in her work by a disconnected figure in a large cityscape, as well as weeping or screaming individuals. The paintings are done with graphite, charcoal, and many translucent layers of oil. They express human depravity, destructive desire, and suffering in an urban desolate environment, all of which point of the need of the Savior.
ARTIST STATEMENT
Isolation and destruction are reoccurring themes prevalent throughout my art to show the effect and consequence of sin. My concepts and themes derive from my personal walk with Christ as well as emotions that are common to man: feelings others can relate to. Using a muted, monochromatic color palette and abstracted disintegrated forms are a reflection of my struggle with depression. I play with the juxtaposition of the real and abstract, pushing and pulling both extremes as they blend together in my paintings. Fascinated with “organized chaos” I use geometry and different grids of golden section.
I work with graphite, charcoal, and oil on white gessoed canvas. My process includes many translucent layers of oil on top of dry media to show each layer and stage of the painting. This symbolizes the complexities of people and how we are each not yet completed; we are a "work in progress". The viewer is meant to be able to "peer" through the window of the person, seeing ones vulnerability and exposing the deep recesses of the heart. My work expresses human depravity, destructive desire, and suffering in urban desolate environments; all of which point to the need of the Savior.
Despite the dark tone of my work, the overall message is to magnify and communicate the hope of the Gospel: Jesus Christ died and rose again to save sinners according to the scriptures. Your sin is worthy of death before a holy and righteous God. But God being compassionate and merciful, sent His own Son, Jesus who was mocked, scourged, beaten, and crucified for your sin. He alone bore the penalty and satisfied the wrath of God, taking the punishment you deserve. Then, rising again from the dead, conquering sin and death, Christ is seated at the right hand of God ever living and reigning. Jesus is alive and you can know Him! “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned: but he who does not believe is already condemned, because He has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation: that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil.” John 3:16-19.
I work with graphite, charcoal, and oil on white gessoed canvas. My process includes many translucent layers of oil on top of dry media to show each layer and stage of the painting. This symbolizes the complexities of people and how we are each not yet completed; we are a "work in progress". The viewer is meant to be able to "peer" through the window of the person, seeing ones vulnerability and exposing the deep recesses of the heart. My work expresses human depravity, destructive desire, and suffering in urban desolate environments; all of which point to the need of the Savior.
Despite the dark tone of my work, the overall message is to magnify and communicate the hope of the Gospel: Jesus Christ died and rose again to save sinners according to the scriptures. Your sin is worthy of death before a holy and righteous God. But God being compassionate and merciful, sent His own Son, Jesus who was mocked, scourged, beaten, and crucified for your sin. He alone bore the penalty and satisfied the wrath of God, taking the punishment you deserve. Then, rising again from the dead, conquering sin and death, Christ is seated at the right hand of God ever living and reigning. Jesus is alive and you can know Him! “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned: but he who does not believe is already condemned, because He has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation: that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil.” John 3:16-19.
SOLUS CHRISTUS
"He heals the broken in heart and binds up their wounds." Psalm 147:3
"Solus Christus" pictures fragmented and broken individuals sliced and shattered to pieces. Faces are obscured and expressions are flat to emphasize the progression of deconstruction and breaking down of a person through geometrical golden-section grids. It also reveals the consequences of sin, which leaves us broken and disfigured. Like glass, once it is shattered it is impossible to piece it back together; the series attempts to communicate this irreversibility and point to the sufficiency of Christ who surpasses that impossibility. "Solus Christus" in Latin means "Christ alone”. The work centers on Psalm 147:3 and the sufficiency of Jesus Christ who alone saves from sin, and is able to heal the broken and the wounded.
"Solus Christus" pictures fragmented and broken individuals sliced and shattered to pieces. Faces are obscured and expressions are flat to emphasize the progression of deconstruction and breaking down of a person through geometrical golden-section grids. It also reveals the consequences of sin, which leaves us broken and disfigured. Like glass, once it is shattered it is impossible to piece it back together; the series attempts to communicate this irreversibility and point to the sufficiency of Christ who surpasses that impossibility. "Solus Christus" in Latin means "Christ alone”. The work centers on Psalm 147:3 and the sufficiency of Jesus Christ who alone saves from sin, and is able to heal the broken and the wounded.
A SONG IN THE NIGHT
Through months of sleepless nights overwhelmed by anxiety and distress, ‘A Song in the Night’ came to fruition. The title is derived from a verse in Psalm 42, “The Lord will command his loving kindness in the day time, and in the night his song shall be with me, my prayer unto the God of my life.” During the late hours of the night was the work created. It is a reflection of my struggle while continuing to learn to trust in God. Through this challenging time impressed with a roller coaster of emotions, Psalm 91:1,2 deeply imprinted in my heart and became the foundation of the paintings. Each one illustrates words used in the verse such as, safety, trust, refuge, and fortress.
Falling isolated figures are used to represent surrender and a new element of paper collage is incorporated using eagle’s wings to picture safety. Geometry breaks up the image into fragmented shards and the ethereal monochromatic color palette suggests a recollection of a memory or space in the mind; giving the work a surreal dreamlike quality. Many layers of transparent glazes reveal my process from beginning to end. Disintegration with loose brush strokes and textures appear to simultaneously come together to the form the image. Overall the pieces show a hope and beauty against the deep dark tones.
‘A Song in the Night’ is my impression and reflection of a truth deeply imprinted in my heart.
“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge, and my fortress, my God, in Him will I trust.” Psalm 91:1,2
Falling isolated figures are used to represent surrender and a new element of paper collage is incorporated using eagle’s wings to picture safety. Geometry breaks up the image into fragmented shards and the ethereal monochromatic color palette suggests a recollection of a memory or space in the mind; giving the work a surreal dreamlike quality. Many layers of transparent glazes reveal my process from beginning to end. Disintegration with loose brush strokes and textures appear to simultaneously come together to the form the image. Overall the pieces show a hope and beauty against the deep dark tones.
‘A Song in the Night’ is my impression and reflection of a truth deeply imprinted in my heart.
“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge, and my fortress, my God, in Him will I trust.” Psalm 91:1,2
RESUME
Education
2012 BFA Painting Academy of Art University
Awards
2008 Freedmond Pete Gabderry Art, Scholarship
2008 Academy of Art Summer Portfolio
Group Exhibitions
2012 Love & Addiction, Wonderland Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2013 Imprints & Impressions, The Drop Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2013 Cityscapes & Landscapes, Flax Art, San Francisco, CA
2013 CLIQUE Collaborations, Flax Art, San Francisco, CA
2012 CLIQUE, Lisa Bradburry Skincare Salon, San Francisco, CA
2012 Soli Deo Gloria, Atelier, 79 New Montgomery, San Francisco, CA
2012 Solus Christus, Atelier, 79 New Montgomery, San Francisco, CA
2012 Material Culture: The organic & inorganic, De Young Museum & 111 Minna Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2012 CLIQUE, Not Your Average Art Show, San Francisco Design Center, San Francisco, CA
2012 Spring Show, Academy of Art, Cannery Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2012 Habit Collective, Seventh Dimension, San Francisco, CA
2011 Small Works Show, Sutter Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2010 Miniatures Show, Napa Valley Museum, Yountville, CA
2009 Artist Open Studios, Melvin St, American Canyon, CA
2008 1st Street Gallery, Napa, CA
2008 The Face of Our Ancestors, Sacred Spaces, Sonoma, CA
Permanent Public Collections
2013 "Communication", Hotel Zetta, San Francisco, CA
2012 BFA Painting Academy of Art University
Awards
2008 Freedmond Pete Gabderry Art, Scholarship
2008 Academy of Art Summer Portfolio
Group Exhibitions
2012 Love & Addiction, Wonderland Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2013 Imprints & Impressions, The Drop Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2013 Cityscapes & Landscapes, Flax Art, San Francisco, CA
2013 CLIQUE Collaborations, Flax Art, San Francisco, CA
2012 CLIQUE, Lisa Bradburry Skincare Salon, San Francisco, CA
2012 Soli Deo Gloria, Atelier, 79 New Montgomery, San Francisco, CA
2012 Solus Christus, Atelier, 79 New Montgomery, San Francisco, CA
2012 Material Culture: The organic & inorganic, De Young Museum & 111 Minna Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2012 CLIQUE, Not Your Average Art Show, San Francisco Design Center, San Francisco, CA
2012 Spring Show, Academy of Art, Cannery Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2012 Habit Collective, Seventh Dimension, San Francisco, CA
2011 Small Works Show, Sutter Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2010 Miniatures Show, Napa Valley Museum, Yountville, CA
2009 Artist Open Studios, Melvin St, American Canyon, CA
2008 1st Street Gallery, Napa, CA
2008 The Face of Our Ancestors, Sacred Spaces, Sonoma, CA
Permanent Public Collections
2013 "Communication", Hotel Zetta, San Francisco, CA