From beautifully layered enamel paintings of human-plant hybrids to delicate sculptures cloaked in opalescent translations of classical drapery, Jessica Calderwood infuses her work with historical references, personal narrative, and creative experimentation. Simultaneously beautiful and absurd, the artist’s anthropomorphic figurines investigate humankind’s strengths and frailties with humor and charm, inviting viewers to contemplate surface design, craft, and labor through her masterful workmanship and imaginative marriage of materials. With a sophisticated understanding of materials and a sustained pursuit of diverse technical skills, Calderwood’s inventive combinations of traditional craft and industrial processes are an homage to once-considered marginal art forms as well as timely statements on contemporary life.
After teaching at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh for nearly a decade, Calderwood now works at Ball State University where she is Associate Professor of Art in Metals and Jewelry.
She holds a BFA from the Cleveland Institute of Art and an MFA from Arizona State University. A former John Michael Kohler Arts/Industry artist-in-residence, her work has been included in numerous national and international exhibitions.
Image: Black Cloud, 2023
Image: Plop, 2023
