Artist Statement

My process is both intuitive and evolving. As I work, my research continues to build, helping me understand why I’m making certain choices rather than simply following instinct. Through this, I’ve come to see that I’m not just painting nature, but constructing an experience of it, shaped by memory, material and transformation. I work across oil, acrylic and collage with monoprint and vintage papers, building each piece in layers that reflect both process and concept. Fragments of earlier stages are intentionally revealed or obscured, allowing traces of the past to remain present.

Ultimately, my work is about connection. While each painting begins with my own experiences, I create with the intention that once it leaves my hands, the story becomes yours, inviting interpretation, reflection and a personal sense of meaning and possibility. At its core, my work is guided by a simple hope: to leave the world a little more meaningful, connected and beautiful than I found it.

Exhibitions & Affiliations

Upcoming — Salon Series Exhibition, The Brenton Hotel, November, 2026

Exhibition Highlights

  • 2026 — Group Exhibition, Providence Art Club, Providence, RI

  • 2025 — “Pivot Point,” CUSP Gallery, Newport, RI

  • 2025 — Solo Exhibition, Salon Series, The Brenton Hotel, Newport, RI

  • 2025 — Juried Exhibition, Spring Bull Gallery, Newport, RI

  • 2025 — Two-Artist Exhibition, Design House Showroom Collaboration, Portsmouth, RI

  • 2025 — Group Exhibition, Providence Art Club, Providence, RI

  • 2024 — Featured Artist, Salon Series, the Brenton Hotel, Newport, RI

  • 2024 — Exhibiting Artist [Newport Artist Collective], Broadway Street Fair, Newport, RI

  • 2024 — Solo Exhibition, Salon Series, The Brenton Hotel, Newport, RI

  • 2024 — Group Exhibition, New England Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, Westerly, RI

    • Member, Providence Art Club

    • Member, Newport Artist Collective

    • Rhode Island School of Design, Continuing Education — Painting Studies (In Progress)

    • B.A., Journalism & Political Science — San Diego State University

    • Scholarship Recipient, University of Oxford, England — Journalism & Political Science Studies

Inquiries:

I’d love to hear from you. For available work, commissions, or general inquiries, please reach out to me directly at jhenkordela.art@gmail.com