Artist Statement:   My work explores the intersection of nature, figures and objects. I’m inspired by the metaphorical possibilities of their encounter and with how these arrangements can represent both the inner and external worlds of the individual.The beauty of color moves me, as do sumptuous textures and the way light falls on an object or a face. My work is an attempt to convey that beauty and reveal the possibilities for meaning inherent in an arrangement of objects. I delight in discovering the metaphorical possibilities in pairing people and subject matter from nature with their man-made counterparts. Victorian bric a brac, bones, and thrift store finds that include ceramic animals, masks and candy become my cast of characters in a spontaneous narrative that evokes certain individual and cultural beliefs.

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Bio:   Jean Reece Wilkey is an American artist based in New Mexico whose work combines objects, landscape, animals and the figure to explore aspects of perception, identity, and our relationship to nature. Wilkey has exhibited nationally and internationally, has been the recipient of fellowships and awards, and her work has been collected by individuals in more than a dozen countries.