Jess Nell

Jessica Nell is a ceramic artist, painter, jewelry maker, and photographer based in Atlanta, Georgia. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in Ceramics from Georgia Southwestern State University. Nell’s first solo exhibition was in 2016, entitled “Metamorphosis.” The works in this show highlighted issues of racism, personal and cultural identity, consciousness, self-awareness, transcendence, and self-liberation.

Nell draws her inspiration from Eastern philosophy, psychology, metaphysics, and the growing societal ills in American culture. Her work questions the traditional mores of society and tradition when it comes to oneself and in turn humanity. "I’ve always found people the most interesting and complex of subjects to observe. A large portion of my work centers around self-image, ego consciousness, and illusions we as human beings construct in our minds in response to our environment.

Our self-image is continually shaped and molded by the world around us whether it be consciously or unconsciously. It’s intriguing the way the brain hides its true operations from our consciousness, and how it processes and abstracts our thoughts and memories. Why is it that it is so difficult for us as human beings, to see through our illusions? The theme and imagery in my work explore the interconnection between life as we dream or construct it and life as it is. The idea of ‘the self’ equates to merely an illusion."