Artist Statement
 

I am a mixed-media and installation artist creating large-scale works that explore joy, memory, and transformation. Inspired by personal experiences and a deep connection to nature, my practice emphasizes moments of happiness through vivid, hyperbolic forms. Each installation becomes a meditation on resilience and the pursuit of joy, highlighting intentionality, gratitude, mindfulness, and self-care as pathways to meaningful connection. These works act as a counterbalance to adversity, framing joy as both an essential human need and a shared communal experience.

My process is rooted in reclaiming and repurposing materials, transforming what is discarded into monumental artworks. The imperfections of these materials are integral to the final pieces, symbolizing the resilience and beauty found in impermanence and change. By incorporating techniques traditionally associated with women’s work, I bridge the tactile and the monumental, celebrating the power of small, deliberate actions to create something larger than the sum of its parts.

While my identity as a bisexual woman, mother, and wife informs my perspective, my work reaches beyond personal narrative to address universal themes of transformation and empowerment. Joy, for me, is an act of creation and resistance—a celebration of possibility that reclaims spaces and reimagines boundaries.

Through sculpture, installation, and two-dimensional studies, I explore the tension between vulnerability and strength, presenting joy as an essential and radical force. My work invites viewers to pause, reflect, and rediscover wonder, encouraging a shared appreciation for the transformative potential of creativity.

Bio

Jane Cheek is a Raleigh-based installation artist recognized for her immersive, large-scale works that blend sculpture, light, and audio elements to transform institutional and public spaces. Born in Winston-Salem, NC, she earned a BA in Art Studies from NC State University and later obtained a K-12 Visual Arts Education certification from East Carolina University. Self-taught in installation art, she combines painting, sculpture, and textiles to create work that is both monumental and delicate.

Cheek’s work has been commissioned by the North Carolina Museum of Art, Downtown Raleigh Alliance, and IBMA Live! and has been featured in major public art exhibitions such as Illuminate Raleigh and Artfields. She has exhibited at leading arts institutions, including Artspace (Raleigh, NC), Waterworks Visual Arts Center (Salisbury, NC), and Wilson Arts Center (Wilson, NC). Her installations often engage students and community audiences through artist talks, workshops, and collaborative projects. She is a two-time recipient of the United Arts Council’s Artist Support Grant and was awarded a 2024 Individual Artist Career Opportunity Grant from South Arts.

In addition to her studio practice, Cheek serves on the Raleigh Arts Public Art and Design Board and previously, the board of Art For All, where she advocates for equitable access to the arts. She is passionate about supporting emerging artists and regularly mentors first-time installation artists, helping them navigate the complexities of large-scale public projects. Her work has been featured in Fiber Art Now and The Inspiration Grid, and she maintains a studio at Artspace in Raleigh, NC, where she continues to develop projects that explore themes of joy, resilience, and the intersections of art and community.