“Inspired by the circus, illusions, dreams and the innocence and playfulness of childhood, these strange beauties are saturated, eye candy explorations in the odd and the beautiful.”
Inspired by the circus, illusions, dreams and the innocence and playfulness of childhood, Strange Beauties explores beauty and its fringes. Capturing sincere moments between Mann and her subjects, the paintings in this exhibition evoke a naïve and unfiltered sense of beauty akin to that experienced in childhood. Using colour and saturation to foreground elegant and alluring elements in otherwise odd and unglamourous images, Mann captures the world through “rose-coloured glasses.” An intense stare, a blink, a sideways glance—and in some works, the collision of these gestures—create a deep sense of intimacy and honesty amidst the surreal images.
Jen Mann is a Canadian artist living just outside of Toronto. After receiving her B.F.A. in printmaking from OCAD University in 2009, she has developed a large body of paintings exploring the subconscious and notions of freedom, perceived beauty, identity and home. Mann exhibited works in her solo show Daydream Believer at Neubacher Shor Contemporary this past summer and has been included in exhibitions in Canada and the US.
agnyana 