WorkArt & Culture

Who am I? Who are you? These are the questions artist Jen Mann explores

Who am I? Who are you? What does my life mean? Why am I alive? - these complex questions are explored in Jen Mann‘s new series of works entitled Q&A; a collection of visual metaphors exploring identity, existence, relationships, life and death.

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All images courtesy of Jen Mann and Neubacher Shor Contemporary in Toronto

All images courtesy of Jen Mann and Neubacher Shor Contemporary in Toronto

Exhibiting at the Neubacher Shor Contemporary in Toronto later this month, each image is an exploration into existence, often expressed through a pun or play on words, in a visual narrative, that draws on popular culture as a form of communicating complex thoughts in an informal way. Mann looks deeply at identity and relationships, and how we understand others through understanding ourselves.

A Toronto-based figurative painter, Jenn received a B.F.A from Ontario College of Art and Design. Mann’s paintings deal mainly with themes of identity and relationships. Mann has exhibited in numerous shows across the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Mann is a recent recipient of the Emerging Artist Grant for the Ontario Arts Council. Here is some of her beautiful work. Discover more at her website.

Figure with blue hair in a bun, face obscured by pink flowing fabric, against an abstract pink and grey background
Gallery view with figurative paintings by Jen Mann, including a pink floral portrait on the left and a blue work on the right with a figure on a wooden bench
Portrait of a woman's face overlaid with translucent geometric shapes in soft pink, blue and purple tones
Artist Jen Mann working on a large portrait painting with overlapping translucent layers in purple and blue tones, in her studio
Portrait painting of a figure with bright pink hair and closed eyes against a pale blue background, rendered in monochromatic pink tones
Portrait of a woman with long black hair and pink lips, her face overlaid with white geometric shapes and symbols against a pale green and blue background
Artist Jen Mann paints a portrait on a canvas showing a face with blue and green tones, while a second colourful portrait in orange and pink tones hangs on the gallery wall nearby
Black and white cat with head tilted back against a blue background with white text reading "Do you like me
A woman with long brown hair views a colourful painting depicting a figure with pink skin and hair wearing sunglasses against a yellow and orange interior background
Gallery installation of Jen Mann's Q&A series showing large-scale portraits and figurative paintings with cool colour palettes exploring identity and existence
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