Artist Bio
Jillian Whitney is an American painter who investigates systemic violence in education by interpreting her experiences as a primary and secondary art teacher, considering the experiences of other educators and current events. Her work is often fantastical, combining elements from fairytales with imagery and objects from classrooms. This work documents the struggles that schools face as they seek to be safe and equalizing places for children to learn while fostering solidarity and community among educators.
She has a BA with a dual major in Art and Mass Communications from Stephen F. Austin State University, 2018, and she has been an artist in residence at Tenjinyama Art Studio (Japan), Metropolitan Fukujusou (Japan), Wick Farm (England), and Old Schoolhouse Art Residency (Iceland). She is currently a MFA Arts candidate at SMU Southern Methodist University in Dallas, USA.
Artist Statement
I am an American painter who investigates systemic violence in education by interpreting her experiences as a primary and secondary art teacher, considering the experiences of other educators and current events. My work is often fantastical, combining elements from fairytales with imagery and objects from classrooms. My artistic practice reveals the struggles that schools face as they seek to be safe and equalizing places for children to learn while fostering solidarity and community among educators.
I was a K-12 teacher for five years, and those experiences, as well as ongoing research, inform my work. I combine portraiture, anecdotes, and a variety of surfaces to investigate systemic violence in schools. Painting these experiences helps me examine the violence prevalent in education while allowing me to process my time as a teacher. Visual metaphors obscure the specific events behind each painting while still allowing the viewer to grasp the overarching theme.
I create these works because issues such as school shootings, unsupportive work conditions, and gender inequality make it nearly impossible for schools to be what they should be: an equalizing, safe place where children can learn. Ultimately, this weakens the school system and harms the public interest.
Contact
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