Artist Statement

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The mixed media and oil paintings in my studio practice concerns the themes of chosen family, feminist theory and/or LGBTQA+. My artwork is deeply personal and fantastical, portraying my experiences as dreamscapes, fantasy scenes, and fictional characters.

The complexity of color stresses intense emotionality and saturates the painted scenes, figures, and expressions with nostalgia. Combined with the mottled pigmentation from my palette and material exploration, the content produces a textured and splotchy recreation of my memory, which reveals the psychological state of the moment.

Influenced by my time as a two-year bronze artist resident at Odiyan Buddhist Retreat Center, I became transfixed with eastern philosophy and sacred art creation. In 2020, I gained a master’s in philosophy of art at the University of Warwick, which has facilitated a growing narrative approach in my recent work.

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Each work of art tells a story or emotional imprint. Doing so helps me understand and reconcile the confusion left behind in some chapters of my life.​

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Artist Bio

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Jules Briggs is a Cleveland, Ohio artist with a studio in Lakewood's Screw Factory. She holds an MA in Philosophy & The Arts from University of Warwick, England, and a BA in Studio Art from DePauw University, Indiana.

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Following her undergraduate career, Jules worked for two years as a bronze foundry artist at Odiyan Copper Mandala, a small Buddhist monastic community in Northern California. Her countless life-size and miniature sculptures contributed to the revitalization of Tibetan art and have been donated to monasteries abroad. Jules’ time spent at Odiyan influenced her decision to study eastern philosophy for her master’s degree in the context of sacred art creation.

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Jules' personal paintings and sculptures have appeared in galleries both nationally and internationally. Notable exhibitions include the Ohio Artist Registry Exhibit (Columbus, OH), and a solo exhibition at 6 Spin Street Gallery (Cape Town, South Africa) during an artist residency with renowned apartheid photographer and activist, Jenny Altschuler. 

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Jules is currently an artist-in-residence with Feverdream, based in Tremont, Cleveland, Ohio.

Instagram @jewelsbriggs