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Artist Statement

I am a Philadelphia based artist and maker. I have a bachelors of science degree from Lafayette College in mechanical engineering, with a minor in studio art. I am a non-binary transgender artist. I explore themes of gender and my identity with my artmaking. My art practice helps me learn about myself and how I want to engage with the world around me. Another theme of my work is environmentalism. In my process, I consider the environmental impact of my art making; I use second-hand materials, trash, and found objects whenever possible.

I work with a variety of mediums, including wood, ceramics, textiles and fiber art, painting, and printmaking, and I continue to experiment with new disciplines and crafts. Making functional art is a joyful part of my art practice. Crafts are my family roots and my culture. Craft inspires long-lasting value of everyday objects instead of the ‘buy more’ mentality of the consumerist system. Our environment and our communities would benefit from a shift back to honoring the rich beauty of crafts. 

Artist Bio

J.Wray is a multidisciplinary artist and maker based in Philadelphia. Working in ceramics, textile and fiber, painting, and printmaking, their art explores themes of environmentalism and the human form. J places importance on the materials they use, collecting found materials and ‘trash’ as art making supplies.

In the summer of 2024, J was a Fob Holder at Philadelphia's Second State Press, a work/residency program. They were also an Artist in Residence at Star Island NH where they led plein air painting workshops. At the end of 2023, they exhibited an upcycled/found object embroidery piece at America's oldest art club, The Philadelphia Sketch Club.

Artist Resume

Education
2021 Lafayette College, Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Minor in Studio Art
 

Residencies

2024     Artist in Residence, Star Island, Portsmouth NH

2024     Fob Holder Program, Second State Press, Philadelphia PA


Exhibitions
2023    Juried Exhibition, The Philadelphia Sketch Club's 1st Annual Works Under $250 Exhibition, The Philadelphia Sketch Club, Philadelphia, PA
2023    National Juried Exhibition, The Grandeur of Color, Modern Visual Arts Gallery, Bethlehem, PA
2022    National Juried Exhibition, By and About Women II, The Regional Center for Women in the Arts, RCWA virtual gallery
2021    Group Show, Art and the Environment, Lafayette College, Easton, PA
2018    Group Show, Printmaking Exhibition, Lafayette College, Easton, PA
2017    Group Show, Young Artists Exhibition, Woodmere Art Museum, Philadelphia, PA

Relevant Work Experience
2023    Carpentry Shop Assistant Manager, Star Island Corporation
2020    Illustrator, Friends of Curtis Arboretum, Park map
2017    Illustrator, Abington Friends School Theater Program, Performance posters

Mediums

  • Ceramics

  • Painting: oil, acrylic, and watercolor

  • Printmaking: screen printing, block printing, monoprinting, etching, and collagraph

  • Woodworking and carving

  • Fiber and Textile


Skills

  • Machine and wood shop

  • Print shop

  • Electric kiln

  • Reclaiming clay

  • CAD programs

  • Conversational Spanish

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