Photo of the artist, Jen Kershaw

About the Artist

Jennifer Kershaw is a representational painter working in oils, building the image up with glazes of colour, in the tradition of Dutch still life and Canadian painter, Mary Pratt.

She has always been inspired by the transformative power of light; how it can lift up the everyday into something jewel-like and extraordinary, while its transience inspires her to never take things for granted; to enjoy, savour, and celebrate what we have while it lasts, because as a wise Beatle once said, “tomorrow never knows”. Her most recent body of work is an exploration of sense memory – certain smells, flavours, songs, and physical items that remind her of people, places, or times long past. In painting the personal, she hopes to touch upon the universal.

Jen was born in Scarborough, Ontario, and then lived in Milton Ontario after her father’s untimely passing in 1990. In 2004, she earned her B.A. Honours degree from the University of Guelph, majoring in Studio Art with a minor in Art History. It was there in the paint spattered studios of Zavitz Hall, that she began to specialize in painting under Monica Tap, and had her revelatory collision with the work of Mary Pratt.

Kershaw is represented by Orange Art Gallery in Ottawa, Canada and her work is held in private collections in Canada and the United States.

Contact Jen

Email jen.kershaw@gmail.com

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Curriculum Vitae

Selected Group Exhibitions

2024     A Beautiful Life: Still Life Exhibition, (juried competition) Summer & Grace Gallery, Oakville ON

2022-2023        MPP Chandra Pasma, Ottawa West Nepean Constituency Office Community Gallery, Ottawa ON

2022-2023        Art à la Carte, In Camera Dining Room, The Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Toronto ON

2021     4th Annual Women Artists Art Competition Online Juried Art Exhibition, Fusion Art

2018     Our Ottawa, Art House Cafe, Ottawa ON

2018     Tones, The Atomic Rooster, Ottawa ON

2018     Artists of the Rideau, Elgin Art Gallery, Elgin ON

2015     International Juried Art Exhibit, The Frederic Remington Art Museum, Ogdensburg, NY

2015     Annual Juried Art Show, TAG Cornwall, Cornwall ON

2014     Sketch, Gallerie SAW Gallery, Ottawa ON

2013     International Juried Art Exhibit, The Frederic Remington Art Museum, Ogdensburg, NY

2013     Annual Juried Art Show, TAG Cornwall, Cornwall ON

2011     Nepean Fine Arts League Members’ Exhibition, Ottawa ON

2011     Figureworks, Orange Art Gallery, Ottawa ON

2010     Ottawa Timeraiser, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa ON

2009     Great BIG Smalls V, Cube Gallery, Ottawa ON

2009     Big Art in The City, Ottawa, ON

2009     Nepean Fine Arts League Member’s Exhibition, Ottawa ON

2009     Canadian Homage, Cube Gallery, Ottawa ON

2008     Nepean Fine Arts League Members’ Exhibition, Ottawa ON

2003     Painting II, Zavitz Gallery, Guelph ON

Solo Exhibitions

2021     The Persistence of Sense Memory Orange Art Gallery, Ottawa ON

2017     Drink!  Orange Art Gallery, Ottawa ON

2008    Engaged  Irene’s Pub and Restaurant, Ottawa, ON

Representation

2011 – present    Orange Art Gallery, Ottawa Ontario

Art Instruction

2016 – 2022    Still Life Workshop Instructor, Orange Art Gallery, Ottawa ON

Awards and Honours

2024     Top 100 Finalist, PleinAir Magazine, June, “My Moon Has Two Dark Sides (I’m Not Even Sleeping as A Hobby Anymore)”

2024     Top 100 Finalist, PleinAirMagazine, August, “A Drink With Old Friends”

2021     Special Merit Award, The Marketer Art Competition

2009     First Award of Excellence in Oils, Nepean Fine Arts League Members’ Exhibition, Ottawa ON

2009     2nd Judges’ Choice Award, Nepean Fine Arts League Members’ Exhibition, Ottawa ON

2008     Honourable Mention, Oils Category Nepean Fine Arts League Members’ Exhibition, Ottawa ON

2004     Ontario Scholar, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON

Bibliography

2021     “How the World Uses Rice Paper | Vietnam, Germany, South Korea, Israel, France,” YouTube, uploaded by Beryl Shereshewsky, 11/11/2021

2021     Alvin Tsang, “Orange Art Gallery on brand new exhibition and surviving the pandemic,” Kitchissippi Times, 11/05/21

2020     Siena Domaradzki-Kim, “Ottawa Artists Keep Creative In A Time of Covid 19,” Capital Current, 06/25/20

2014     Peter Simpson, “3 new spaces for art in Ottawa: Orange, 101 and Studio Café,” Ottawa Citizen, 28/04/14

2010     Robyn Currie, “Child’s Play Paintings” Trendhunter Magazine, 24/01/10

2010     Robyn Currie, “Liquor Cabinet Art,” Trendhunter Magazine, 10/01/10

2008     Jennifer Young, “Artist Sees The Light and Beauty In Everyday Objects,” Nepean This Week, 18/07/08, p. 16.

Education

2004     University of Guelph, Guelph ON

B.A Honours in Fine Arts, specializing in Painting and Art History

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