Jordan Segal

ARTIST BIO

Jordan Segal is a New York multimedia artist, curator, and educator whose work is influenced by his upbringing in a gritty urban environment. He graduated from Bard College in 2014 with a B.A. in Studio Art and received the Studio Arts Award. Jordan's experimental art practice, which spans painting, sculpture, and drawing, explores the fragility and strength of the human body. His work has been exhibited in various New York venues, from Bob’s Gallery to the New York Hall of Science. His recent residencies include ChaNorth and Ox-Bow's Conversation in Practice. Jordan's work has appeared in ShoutOut LA and Create! He has curated exhibitions at Deer Studios and the Spring/Break Art Show in 2019, 2020, and 2021.

ARTIST STATEMENT

Art must be honest, often requiring a confrontational approach to complex subjects. My experiences with trauma and loss—witnessing my mother's battle with cancer, struggling with eating disorders and learning disabilities, living near the World Trade Center, and navigating the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City—have profoundly influenced my artistic expression. By sharing these experiences through my art, I hope to connect with others and help them find healing.

I use mixed media to convey my subjects' emotional and psychological narratives. Like words in a poem, I arrange diverse materials to create a relatable yet mysterious world, allowing viewers to derive their meanings. Inspired by material-based artists such as Alberto Burri, Mark Bradford, and Michel Nedjar, my surfaces become textural elements that give my artworks a dark inner life.

My manipulation of materials includes sanding, scraping, staining, collaging, and repurposing recycled items. This layering process results in works embodying sculptural and textured forms, blending the figurative with the abstract. Ultimately, my goal is to break through resistance and open pathways for the artist and the audience to understand, process, and heal.