Jessica Maher

‘Jessica Maher is an abstract and still-life expressive painter, amateur writer/poet, curator and entrepreneur living in Manchester.

Her abstract work is entirely arbitrary, exploring varied stylistics to mark-making and colour theory, working with different mediums, applications, and themes revolving around colour.

Her still-life paintings find influence towards the ‘bad painting’ movement which explores the temporality of the banal within the singularity in ordinary life. She fixates on controversial topics, abstract concepts and interpretations of societal constructs, personal narratives and individualistic pleasures. The works are specifically curated to create a sense of sentimentality and meaning-making.

Her written work consists of the use of free verse poetry with the recurring theme of nostalgia and truism reflecting on personal experiences, dialogue, existentialism and philosophy. Her other written work includes the themes of anti-art, anti-institutions, aesthetics and the art experience.

Her curating experience has been community-based working with organisations like MustardTree and BSURF as well as completing a postgraduate diploma in Contemporary Curating. She attended the ‘Curators Of Tomorrow’ residency in Vienna as well as conducting an independent interview with the Austrian art collective Gelitin, Tobias Urban, and engaging with other curators, artists and exhibitions, exploring the varied routes of curating.

Finally, Jessica is working on an independent entrepreneurial opportunity, which is the production of ‘TTFN Designs’ which is an extension of her art practice.’