Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Libor.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I have always loved art, ever since I can remember. Art’s storytelling abilities seemed magical, and I began by illustrating stories that I would write about woodland animals and young girls like myself. Growing up, I was always drawing and reading, and for college I attended the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, the Florence Academy of Art and the Grand Central Atelier. It was here that I honed my skills. An artist’s work is never complete though, and my journey continued as I explored my passion for folk and fairy tales once I was out of school and a working artist. Residencies in Scotland and France proved to be turning points in my creative endeavors, providing jumping off points to experience cultures different than my own, and sparking ideas for the development of my work.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has been a smooth road in that I have always been sure of what I wanted to do– I have always had an inner conviction that I was meant to be an artist and it was part of my destiny. This inner knowledge has made the struggles along the way worth it! Of course, there have been hardships. Struggles to determine what I wanted to say in my art, how to choose the right path, and developing self-governance as someone who is self-employed. However, I try to see struggles as a spiritual path: how can I rise to this challenge? What is this situation asking me to develop within myself?

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My work depicts the feminine protagonist’s journey in creating her own personal mythology. I am best known for my oil paintings with accents of precious metals. Through using the symbols and aesthetic tropes found within fairytales, I explore the process of self discovery that the heroine faces. By weaving the backdrop of nature into the art like a stage set, I seek to draw the viewer into the world of the painting. The imagery I use often contains fairy tale women, but also references animal spirits, costuming to shape identity, and the spiritual other world as a deeper layer. Notable works are my self portraits and series of paintings inspired by Scotland. Visually, the work is inspired by the historical eras of the Pre-Raphaelites, with elements of Rococo and Medieval.

My work has been most notably exhibited at La Serre Wangari in my 2023 solo exhibition in Paris, as well as included in exhibitions at the Barnes Foundation, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Independence Seaport Museum and the Louisiana Art and Science Museum, and is in private collections in France and in the US.

Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I also act, and have been in several TV shows!

Pricing:

• To inquire about original paintings, email jlibor@jessicalibor.com

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jessicalibor.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicaliborstudio

Image Credits
Photo taken as a self portrait in the studio by Jessica Libor Artwork copyright by Jessica Libor