SAN FRANCISCO, SayArt - The Jessica Silverman Gallery is showcasing Brooklyn-based painter Julia Jo's debut San Francisco exhibition, titled "Swoon", from September 21 to November 4, 2023. Jo's distinctive oil paintings blend bodily forms with bold, curvilinear brush strokes, navigating the space between figuration and abstraction. 

▲ Julia Jo, Shy, 2023, Oil on canvas, 91.4 x 91.4 cm, Courtesy of Jessica Silverman.Born in Seoul and having lived between South Korea and the U.S. during her younger years, Jo's art is influenced by her experiences of shifting between languages, cultures, and personas. Her paintings serve as a medium to break free from the practiced gestures of her past, leaning heavily into emotion. Her works are characterized by swirling compositions, with hues of violet, forest green, and crimson hinting at traces of bodies, from legs to martini glasses.▲ Julia Jo, Come Hither, 2023, Oil on canvas, 177.8 x 177.8 cm, Courtesy of Jessica Silverman.

One of her notable works, "Come Hither" (2023), entices viewers with its amalgamation of faces, limbs, and other body parts, challenging them to decipher the emotions depicted, from desire and joy to loneliness and sadness.

The "Swoon" exhibition will present a mix of Jo's signature large-scale square paintings and her debut small-scale works. Jo has expressed her interest in exploring the possibilities within a square frame, using it to convey the intricate dynamics of the human psyche.

▲ Julia Jo, Shy, 2023, Oil on canvas, 91.4 x 91.4 cm, Courtesy of Jessica Silverman.Julia Jo, born in 1991 in Seoul, holds degrees from Parsons School of Design and Smith College. Her artworks are part of permanent collections like the ICA Miami and have been showcased in solo exhibitions in New York and Los Angeles. Later this year, she will be joining the Beecher Residency in Litchfield, CT. Jo currently resides in Brooklyn, NY, and is represented by Charles Moffett in New York.

Sayart.net
Maria Kim, sayart2022@gmail.com