Jessica Maria Hopkins
At What Age, 2022
acrylic on canvas
36h x 36w in
JH025
JESSICA MARIA HOPKINS: BARRIERS
In this body of work, I explore personal barriers, deep-rooted metaphysical walls that prevent something in us from moving forward.
In my life I have subconsciously created some walls and others have formed from circumstances including race, gender, relationships, health and physical qualities. These kinds of barriers have shaped my life and the lives of others I know, sometimes blocking our achievements and often preventing us from being heard.
Figuration and abstraction empower me to visually express my life experiences. I view the body as an instrument to be played, distorted and defined through various colors and patterns.
The portraits I create serve as internal and external self-portraits reflecting my most inner being. I consider the mechanics of life and art to be similar. Life situations have the potential to trigger a range of human emotions. Grey tones represent calm while color signals chaos or something uncontrollable.
With my work it is not necessary for viewers to rationalize what they feel about color. I strive to create an organic experience that elicits an immediate emotional reaction.
- Jessica Maria Hopkins
Jessica Maria Hopkins was born in Washington, DC. She lives and works in Takoma Park, MD. Hopkins is a figurative painter whose artistic training at Howard University aligns her practice with the painting traditions of Alma Thomas and the AfriCOBRA movement. Hopkins experiments with surface texture, explores the symbolic value of decorative patterning, and accesses the emotional potential of color in her work. Her work is in the collection of the University of the District of Columbia as well as numerous private collections.
