JAN KIRSTEIN RIGOR

Expressive Mixed-Media Collages

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Mixed-Media Paintings

These are mixed-media collages on 100% rag BFK Reves Rag Archival paper or stretched canvas.

Mixed-Media Digital Collage Giclee Prints

Mixed-media digital collage giclee print created from photographs, drawings, and paintings form the shape of the Kimono and celebrate the process of aging.

Asian Biennale Exhibition

I have just received word that I have been invited to represent the United States at the Asian Biennial. The event has been moved to 2025 due to the unrest and revolution in the streets in Bangladesh. I am thrilled as I thought I would never be chosen. Hallelujah! The central focus of my Exhibit will be a large shower curtain with one of my mixed-media drawings of a home drawn in the manner of a child's memory. Home is a state of mind and the action in the drawing moves in and out of the home and its entire placement. "Displaced Home" could be a psychological state similar to disassociation from self. Home becomes a symbol of the relationship of self. Displacement can be a feeling of not belonging, even when physically present in a space. The idea that someone can experience displacement without being physically displaced resonates deeply with the experiences of many individuals who have faced exclusion, marginalization, or discrimination. It could be due to their identity, beliefs, culture, or simply being different. The shower curtain concept resonates perfectly with the idea that memories of home are fragile, ephemeral, and susceptible to change. The fact that shower curtain is often associated with privacy, intimacy, and daily routines adds another layer of depth to the artwork. By displaying the shower curtain in a refugee's foreign bathroom setting provides a powerful commentary on the displacement experience. The absurdity, nostalgia, and grief are all apparent through this juxtaposition.

Syrian Sojourn

Vibrant abstract compositions filled with bold, dynamic colors and contrasting shapes reveals turmoil endured by the errupting war inflicted upon the Syrian people by its own government. The dominant hues of red, orange, and blue create an energetic and chaotic atmosphere, revealing at a fiery and turbulent catastrophe of immense proportions. The paintings depict the turmoil, violence, unrest, and a flight from suffering into hope and healing.