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About ME
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Artist Statement
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All is beautiful. There's beauty in pain, in brutality, in joy, in love, in hideousness. Modernity, as evidenced by the news, is often brutal. My art aims to be both beautiful and of its time. Thus, it often captures dark moments - moments of suspension, where the line between life and death is blurred. The only certainty in my work is beauty. Perhaps it's a coping mechanism for me - a way to deal with the hideousness I find both inside and outside myself. By finding beauty in it I can live with dark truths.
To highlight the beauty of modernity it’s best to use a contemporary material palate. I employ a broad range of materials and mediums including paints, pens, photography, found objects, sculpture, poetry, book making, paper, wire and wood among others. This helps to create highly and diversely textured work which reflects the informationally packed, overstimulating times.
BIOGRAPHY
Jake Sheykhet originates from Denver, Colorado, and carries with him the rich heritage of his Soviet Jewish immigrant parents.
His artistic journey was ignited at a young age when he demonstrated a love for drawing.
Encouraged by his parents, he received guidance from Soviet art instructors, marking his sole formal training in the arts. Consequently, he identifies as a predominantly self-taught artist, shaped by the foundations of his early experiences.
Intrinsically tied to his roots, Jake weaves his Soviet and Jewish heritage into his artistic creations. Inspired by Tarkovsky, an eminent Soviet film director, Jake's admiration resonates with his artistic expression. The shimmering allure of Eastern Orthodox icons finds manifestation in his use of gold. At the core of his creativity lies the Kabbalah, a reservoir of Jewish mystical writings that infuses spirituality into his work, alongside an intuitive and associative approach to his craft.
Art History is a constant touch point in Jake’s art. At Brown University, he concentrates in the History of Art and Architecture. He draws on this education to infuse his works with reference. Western Art, particularly early modern paintings, have informed the textures and subject matter within Jake’s pieces. Cy Twombly, Jean Dubuffet, Marc Chagall, Naum Gabo, and Helen Frankenthaler among many others are invoked in his recent canvases. The artist also draws upon non-Western cannon. Islamic book art, the vivid hues of Mesoamerican polychrome sculpture, and the elegant strokes of Japanese calligraphy have contributed to the multilayered essence of Jake's artistic expression.