Artist of the Month May 2015

Jean M. Fernandes

Arlington, TX

Jean Fernandes is an international artist; born in India, raised in Dubai and California. She earned her BA in Graphic Design at San Jose State University, CA (2010) and her MFA in Glass at the University of Texas at Arlington, TX (2014). 
She has exhibited her art in juried shows nationally and internationally. These shows most notably include Art Inter/national (Box Heart gallery, Pittsburgh, PA), Emerge/Evolve 2014 (Bellevue Arts Museum, Bellevue, WA), and the Stanislav Libensky Award (Prague Gallery of Czech Glass, CZ). Her most notable recent achievements include being selected as a 2014 Bullseye Glass Emerge finalist, being published in the 2014 Aesthetica Art Prize Anthology, and winning a 2015 Niche Award. 
Jean currently teaches beginning and advanced kiln-forming at the University of Texas at Arlington and is the kiln studio manager at SiNaCa Studios in Fort Worth, TX. 

How and when did you start creating art?

I have been creating art for as long as I can remember. My parents realized that I had an ability to draw quite well at a young age and they encouraged me to nurture that talent. I started with drawing, progressed to digital design, and now work in various forms of sculpture.

What media and genres do you work in?

I consider myself a multimedia artist; The medium almost always has a deep relationship with the idea. Often, I work with glass because of its conceptual flexibility and duality. It has the ability to be fragile or strong, transparent or opaque, stiff or flexible, etc. and acts as an excellent metaphor in my work. The properties of the media are often integral to my work; I've used yarn for its softness and strength, ice for its temporality, wax for its ability to melt when introduced to heat, etc. and all of these qualities often play a large role in the concept of the piece I am working on.

Who or what are your influences?

To me, everything seems to be interconnected by an invisible network. Human beings are inherently driven to seek connections and patterns in order to understand the universe we live in. My work explores my interest in structures and systems through an investigation of pattern, repetition, confinement, destruction, symmetry, and geometry. I'm fascinated by the interactions between different entities, how things and people operate in these systems we create, the ways in which things influence and are influenced by each other, etc.

What was your inspiration for Trapped Luminescence?

This work is part of a series that explores the invisible patterns that form when glass is poured into a mold. The series investigates how flow patterns change based on the initial variances in set up. Due to its viscosity, the material folds on itself in a rhythm that varies from predictable to erratic. Most often, these patterns are invisible due to the artists' choices, but through specific methods of setting up the material, they can be rendered visible.

Describe your creative process?

Like most artists, I start with an idea and go through several iterations in my sketchbook before committing to making the work. My work takes a significant amount of time during the making process, so it is important to me to start with a well-developed idea (one that I feel strongly about). Often, the work evolves as I create and/or it triggers other ideas for future pieces. Research also plays a significant role in the development of my ideas.

What are you working on currently?

I'm currently working on several variations of this series, a couple of other series of work, as well as an affordable glass production line.

What are your near/long term goals as an artist?

I have a yearly goal of being accepted to a certain number of juried shows per year (last year I participated in 11 juried group shows), but I have not yet had a solo exhibition nor a residency, so those are two of the goals I am currently working toward. Some of my long term goals involve broadening my exposure by being a part of more international exhibitions and collections, being represented in major galleries, opening up a glass studio, and becoming more involved in art and glass education.

Where can people view/purchase your work (gallery, website, etc)?

My work can be viewed/purchased by contacting me directly:  

jean@jeanfernandes.com