63 Blue Women Collages – Various Titles 11”x9”; paper, glue; 2021-2025
Jennifer Evans Denver, Colorado, USA
STATEMENT
My art practice is centered on themes of identity and the human desire for connection. Inspired by cultural traditions, stories and contemporary feminist concepts, I explore the complexities of identity, particularly in relation to women’s roles across cultures and histories. As the artist Luchita Hurtado expressed, “Everything in this world, I find I’m related to.” This sentiment resonates deeply with me. My “Blue Women Series” (started in 2021), an evolving series of more than 200 collages portraying women in a variety of physical and emotional states, explores the dynamic and multifaceted nature of identity. Each “Blue Woman” invites viewers to reflect on the many roles we play and identities we inhabit.
My larger textile collages are an extension of my exploration into identity. Almost entirely hand-sewn and quilted, my meditative process reflects the histories of the materials, incorporating found objects–rusty metal, buttons, beads–imbued with memories and cultural significance. As so-called “women’s work,” they are a celebration, and interrogation, of the labor, strength and resilience embedded in women’s everyday lives.
Art can serve as a catalyst for empathy and change. Our world suffers from a failure of imagination – the inability to envision a different path forward. As artists, our role is to help imagine that path, using our work to plant seeds of hope and inspire new perspectives. Through my art, I aim to connect with others, remind us of our shared humanity, and challenge the boundaries that divide us. I hope to create work that reflects the complexity of identity and fosters understanding and connection between people of diverse backgrounds and experiences.
BIO
Jennifer Evans is a textile and paper collage artist whose work explores the intersections of identity, culture, and storytelling. Evans’ passion for working with paper and textiles has been a constant thread throughout her life. She studied Folklore at the University of California, Berkeley, an unusual academic path that ignited her deep interest in cultural narratives, traditions, and the power of stories. Evans began her artistic practice in earnest in 2010. Her work has been exhibited in group shows, and is held in private collections, across the US.
In 2022 and 2024, while an artist resident with Kolaj Institute in Sanquhar, Scotland, she investigated the folklore of witches in Scotland, weaving together her academic interests and creative practice; creating collages and assemblages inspired by the folklore. Her residency work also investigated the very real, very brutal history of the Scottish Witch Trials, creating a poignant dialogue between myth and historical trauma.
Evans’s series of paper collages, “Blue Women Series”, began in 2021 and explores themes of identity, emotions, and the roles women play in society. Her larger, textile collages often incorporate found objects to tell stories, both real and imagined, of people and places around the world. With a practice rooted in the study of folklore and cultural traditions, Evans seeks to create art that fosters connection and understanding, inviting viewers to reflect on the shared human experience across time and space.
