Artist Statement

Creating is my way of thinking through things and presenting my findings and convictions to the world. Much of my work aims to communicate both the fragility of life and the beauty of it. This often comes in the form of detailed flowers with symbolic meaning attached to them. I’m inspired by 16th and 17th century Dutch still lives that feature dramatic floral arrangements and memento mori such as skulls and insects. I minored in art history, and I enjoy drawing from historical iconography. The temporal beauty of flora compels me, and I make a connection to our own mortality, allowing death to be a consistent theme in my paintings. Bursting through dim and moody backgrounds, I use flowers to insert beauty into dark scenarios and highlight hope. To speak on death without hope is contradicting in my eyes. My personal faith plays a pivotal role in my artwork. I believe that God created humanity from the dirt and dust and that eternity is a necessary topic to consider, so nature that grows from dirt and is temporal yet beautiful is a wonderful vehicle to express these ideas. 


 

CV

Education: 2021 BFA in Painting, Minor in Art History Savannah College of Art Honors: summa cum laude

Group Exhibitions: 2024 Little Things, Swan Coach House Gallery, Atlanta, GA 2024 Tiny Doors & Friends 2, ABV Gallery, Atlanta, GA 2024 Perspectives, ABV Gallery, Atlanta, GA 2024 Bloom, Cat Eye Creative, Atlanta, GA 2024 Refresh, ABV Gallery, Atlanta, GA 2024 Utopia, Cat Eye Creative, Atlanta, GA 2024 One By One, ABV Gallery, Atlanta, GA 2023 Tis the Season, Cat Eye Creative, Atlanta, GA 2023 Beyond the Veil, ABV Gallery, Atlanta, GA 2023 A Better View, ABV Gallery, Atlanta, GA 2023 Splash, Cat Eye Creative, Atlanta, GA 2023 May Flowers, Cat Eye Creative, Atlanta, GA 2023 Season Two, ABV Gallery, Atlanta, GA 2023 Love Is In The Air, Cat Eye Creative, Atlanta, GA 2022 What’s Next?, Cat Eye Creative, Atlanta, GA 2022 Drink and Doodle Vol. 100, ABV Gallery, Atlanta, GA 2022 Refresh, Cat Eye Creative, Atlanta, GA 2022 A Better View, ABV Gallery, Atlanta, GA 2022 Summer in the City, Cat Eye Creative, Atlanta, GA 2022 Summer Invitational, Swan Coach House Gallery, Atlanta, GA 2022 3 Year Anniversary Show, Cat Eye Creative, Atlanta, GA 2022 Straight from the Heart, Cat Eye Creative, Atlanta, GA 2022 That’s Amore, RobertKent Gallery, Marietta, GA 2021 Open Studio Night, Savannah College of Art and Design, Atlanta, GA 2021 HYBRID, SCAD Atlanta Gallery, Atlanta, Ga 2021 Friends of Gene, Thomas Dean Fine Art, Atlanta, Ga (Virtual) 2020 Nature, Light, Space, and Time Virtual Exhibition 2020 Open Studio Night, Savannah College of Art and Design, Atlanta, GA 2019 Open Studio Night, Savannah College of Art and Design, Atlanta, GA 2018 The Amazing Castle, Children’s Museum of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA 2017 Artopia, Twenty One Pilot’s Tour De Columbus, Columbus, OH

Experience: 2024 Presenter, Georgia Art Education Association Conference, Atlanta, GA 2023-24 Muralist, Forward Warrior, Atlanta, GA 2021-23 Florist, 89th and Autumn, Canton, GA 2020 Graphic Designer for RevStudents, Revolution Church, Canton, GA 2019 Live Backdrop Painter, Collaboration with Kent Knowles, SCAD Day, Atlanta, GA 2019 Mural Assistant to Steffi Lynn, Outerspace Project, Atlanta, GA

Awards: 2020 Special Recognition for Excellence in Art, Nature Art Exhibition 2020-21 Arnell Lewis Land Art Scholarship 2019-20 Gene Arthur Allcott Scholarship 2018-19 Seydell Endowed Memorial Scholarship 2017-20 SCAD Achievement Honors Scholarship 2017-20 Academic Honors Scholarship

Bibliography 2023 Voyage ATL, “Rising Stars: Meet Sami Jacq”, May 17, 2023 2020 SCAN Magazine, Vol. 12 no. 2 - Student Showcase