Artist Bio
Jahna Rae’s passion for art began in early childhood, first inspired by her father, who was also an artist. Her first memories of creating date back to when she was two years old, covered in paint outside her home in Panama City, Panama.
Inspired by the people and places she traveled to as a kid in a military household, Jahna Rae developed an interest in portraiture and spirituality as she and her artistic practice grew. She attended the Academy of Art University in San Francisco in 2017 where she studied Illustration and learned more about the fundamentals of artmaking. After college Jahna Rae moved to Denver, Colorado where she was selected to participate in her first ever mural festival in 2021, thus officially beginning her career as an artist.
Since 2021, she has participated in numerous group exhibits, curated 3 solo shows, awarded three artist in residence programs and completed over a dozen murals around the state of Colorado. Jahna Rae now lives in Upstate, NY where she continues her art practice from her home studio.
Artist Statement
I create to explore my spirituality and the impact of human interconnectedness on the journey towards healing and understanding. My goal is to bring viewers together and shed light on how people understand themselves in relation to others. My evolution in portrait painting and illustration has allowed me to utilize techniques to visualize topics in connection with self and others through abstract methods.
I’m drawn to bold, bright colors, patterns and sharp contrast. I use a variety of mediums including oil, acrylic, aerosol, and ink to create work that is vibrant and textural. The emotional quality of my pieces gives them an inherent narrative that unfolds throughout the painting process. As I create, I weave together inspiration from poetry, music, spirituality and the stories my community has been vulnerable enough to share with me.
CV
Jahna Rae
Painter | Illustrator | Muralist
Upstate NY
Education
2019 - Certificate UX Design - General Assembly
2017 - AA Illustration - The Academy of Art University
Group Exhibits
2021 - Babe Walls Emerging Artists Group Show - Denver, CO
2021 - June Shine Exhibit Group Show - Denver, CO
2021 - Redline Gallery Mural Project - Denver, CO
2021 - Matriarch Merchantile - Denver, CO
2022 - The Medusa Collective - Denver, CO
2022 - The Banshee House Women’s History Month - Denver, CO
2022 - Westward Gallery “Community” Exhibition - Denver, CO
2022 - AFUG Virtual Exhibit
2022 - Babe Walls Art Prom - Denver, CO
2024 - Babe Walls Group Show - Denver, CO
2024 - CU Boulder Museum for Black Girls - Boulder, CO
Solo Exhibitions
2023 - Platteforum “Indigo” - Denver, CO
2023 - Odell Brewing “Transitions” - Denver, CO
2023 - Balefire Goods “Aura” - Arvada, CO
2023 - Colorado Academy - Denver. CO
Murals
2021 - Babe Walls Mural Festival - Arvada, CO
2021 - Redline Gallery Mural Project - Denver, CO
2021 - Colfax Canvas Mural Festival - Denver, CO
2021 - Fort Collins Mural Project - Fort Collins, CO
2022 - Lucina Eatery & Bar Mural - Denver, CO
2022 - Sol Bol Smoothies, Aurora, CO
2022 - The Nest Collective - Silverthorn, CO
2022 - Babe Walls Pride Mural Festival - Adams County, CO
2022 - Black Arts Festival - Denver, CO
2022 - Create Cooking School - Denver, CO
2023 - Private Residential Mural - Denver, CO
2023 - Village Farm at Stanley Marketplace - Aurora CO
2023 - Insights Colorado Assessment & Therapy - Denver. CO
2023 - Streetwise Arts - Boulder, CO
2024 - Xiquita Restaurante y Bar - Denver, CO
2024 - Denver Walls Mural Festival - Denver, CO
Residencies
Non-conforming Spaces - Platteforum - November 2022 - January 2023 - Denver, CO
Art District on Santa Fe - August 2023 - November 2023 - Denver, CO
Artist in Residence - Colorado Academy - October 2023 - Denver, CO