Mixed Media Artist Nancy Jo Ward Debuts at Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum
California-based mixed media artist Nancy Jo Ward is showcasing her evocative portraits at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum for Japan’s 23rd International Art Exchange Exhibition from June 15-20, 2024.
Ward’s unique approach combines digital drawing, painting, and the use of gold and silver foils to create emotionally resonant figurative art. Her art blurs the lines between pixels, paint, and algorithm, delving deep into the minds and hearts of her subjects.
Using a lush color palette, Ward offers archival prints on aluminum, each hand-finished with acrylics, oils, and pastels. Her vibrant and dreamy portraits invite viewers into an intimate and profound dialogue with her subjects, expressing a range of emotions from loss and grief to comfort and contemplation.
Ward’s fusion of digital and analog techniques pushes beyond conventional artistic boundaries, resulting in hauntingly lovely works that encourage exploration and transformation. Her artwork forms compelling visual narratives based on contemporary female identities.
At the Tokyo exhibition, Ward will present three of her mixed-media works: Taisha, Jesslyn, and Pantsuit Nation, each depicting a compelling female subject in nuanced rainbow shades. The artist’s fluid and lustrous works will be part of a celebration of diversity and cultural specificity, alongside 57 visual artists from the United States.
A professor of art and design at Allan Hancock College in California, Ward received her Master of Arts with Distinction in Digital Fine Art from the University of the Arts London in 2018. Her hybrid portraiture work has been featured globally in numerous exhibitions.
The exhibition will take place at Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, 1F Citizens Gallery 3, 8-36 Ueno Park, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-0007, Japan, from June 15-20. For more information about Ward and her artwork, visit NancyJoWard.com.
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Sofia Duarte graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago with a degree in Fashion Design. Her designs are known for their bold colors, intricate patterns, and sustainability-focused approach. Sofia has interned with several renowned fashion houses and recently launched her own eco-friendly fashion line that blends art and wearable design.