Jamais Vu
Jane L.
Oil Paint, Gesso, Tape
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Jamais Vu: when the familiar seems strangely foreign. I discovered this feeling when visiting my hometown after five years, connected yet also alienated. I wanted to illustrate this jarring contrast of emotions through a painting of my old kitchen. I painted my childhood kitchen twice: one in a warm, nostalgic mood, and another in a cool, distant, and muted tone, the two layers separated with gesso and tape. I peeled off fragments of the top layer to reveal glimpses of the first. The pattern resembles a fractured mirror, symbolizing my reflection on my memories. The crevices of my memory in an otherwise lifeless scene of my kitchen emphasize the feeling of familiarity and unfamiliarity with a space that one experiences after leaving it for a while. Through this painting, I discovered the duality of spaces: they have the power to both conjure memories and challenge them.
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Creativity draws inspiration from life experiences, others' work, or the environment to express one's perception of the world. To me, creativity is boundless. It encourages exploration and invention. Creativity is not only a channel for self-exploration, it encourages mutual connection by creating a shared experience using art. Creativity is art.
