Artist Statement
 

My work is an extension of my lifelong practice of cataloging joy and exploring memory. Drawing inspiration from personal experiences, I create large-scale installations that magnify moments of happiness, often in a vivid, hyperbolic form. Through my work, I delve into the fragility of joy, the significance of gratitude, and the ever-changing nature of happiness. The colorful and kinetic work plays with the reflective and refractive properties of light while casting colorful shadows beyond the physical boundaries of the installation. Through the use of techniques traditionally associated with women's work and craft, I transform ordinary materials into monumental artworks. Each piece represents a meditation on intentionality and resilience, meticulously crafted through countless small actions, and I aim to ignite joy in the lives of the viewer.

Bio

Jane Cheek was born in Winston-Salem, NC and earned a BA in Art Studies from NC State University. She later obtained a K-12 Visual Arts Education certification from East Carolina University and recently pursued public art studies under the mentorship of public artist, David Wilson. Self taught in installation art, Cheek combines her interest in painting, sculpture, and textiles to create work that is both monumental and delicate.

Cheek’s work includes commissions at the North Carolina Museum of Art, outdoor art installations for Artsplosure and Downtown Raleigh Alliance, and a large-scale, immersive installation for IBMA Live! - an international bluegrass festival in Raleigh, NC. She currently has a solo installation exhibition at Waterworks Visual Arts Center, the contemporary art museum in Salisbury, NC and has upcoming exhibits at Wilson Arts Center (Wilson, NC), The Arts Center (Carborro, NC), and Pullen Arts Center (Raleigh, NC).