We are excited to add the first piece to our 2019 gallery of artworks created with our beautiful Water-soluble Encaustic Paint and sent in by the artists themselves.
This stunning piece was created by José DeJesús Zamora, a prolific artist based in New York, where he teaches at the renowned Parsons School of Design.
Born and raised in Puerto Rico, he first completed a degree in Biology to discover his true vocation as an artist. But as his family didn’t believe in pursuing a career in the arts as a viable option, they came to the conclusion that architecture was a good compromise, ticking all the boxes.
After studying in Puerto Rico and Italy, he completed his degree in Architecture in 1987. He subsequently moved to New York and started to freelance for several architects and museums. During the recession of the early nineties, when work was lacking, he decided to go back to school. He completed an MFA from The New York Academy of Art with a major in Sculpture in 1995.
Right after he completed his MFA he began to work for Jeff Koons for the collection he called Celebration, which included most of the very famous inflatables. He was in charge of the modelling of one particular sculpture, The Sacred Heart, which has been since reproduced five times and have been sold for around twenty three million dollars per piece.
Here are a few words from José himself, talking about his work:
My work has evolved over the years. The multidisciplinary experiences I’ve had as a student coming from science, architecture and art has informed and expanded my vision and interests, both as an artist and as an educator. The subjects of study that have remained a constant throughout my practice and teaching are, among other things: Visual Perception and Representation, Retinal Images, Geometry and patterns in Nature and Design, the human body, history and a little bit of Neoplatonic philosophy. I have uncovered very interesting methods of observation by following the footsteps of old masters like Leonardo Da Vinci, who, in my view, exemplifies the ideal of a systemic thinker who uses the tools of observation and representation of a draftsman in order to discover the secrets and the wonders of nature. I believe Leonardo is the model to emulate for a contemporary approach to learning and making connections across subjects and disciplines. It has been through the eyes of Leonardo that I have found a new meaning and reason to practice and teach drawing in the era of digital technology. This journey has moved me to uncover very old methods of observation, as well as a passion for the construction of intricate geometric patterns which emulate the patterns in nature. My own recent work has been heavily influenced by the discovery of these old forgotten practices.
The full testimony fromJosé DeJesús can be found on Parsons website under this link: https://parsons.edu/undergrad/faculty-spotlight-jose-dejesus
Thank you for sharing your work with us, José, we truly LOVE IT.
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