Featured Artist Jana Jaros

Inspired by the human body, artist Jana Jaros creates large-scale paintings that explore structure and expression. View more of her portfolio by visiting her website.

 

 

Painting is where I find my strongest means of expression. I am not a musician or a writer, except when I write poetry, but life has left a dramatic impression on me. For a long time, I avoided painting the human figure. It was not because I doubted my ability to render it. I was wary of what might emerge if I did: the emotions, stories, and truths that the figure could bring into view. Once I crossed that threshold, I never looked back.

 

 

The human experience is my greatest source of inspiration. It took years of making art—and reflecting on what drew me to it—to understand that this was the thread running through my work. My journey toward that realization was intuitive rather than carefully planned. I followed what moved me, even before I could name it.

 

 

I am an artist based in Ontario, Canada. My work has been exhibited in small intimate venues to public art galleries. I have been showing for ten years, but only started exhibiting my figurative work in the last six. My work and journey continues to grow as people, their stories, and lived experience influence my work.

 

 

I trained for four years focusing on Interdisciplinary Art at the Ontario College of Art and Design University, where I fell in love with figure drawing and painting. During that time, I also had the opportunity to study anatomical drawing in the University of Toronto’s health science labs. That experience deepened my understanding of the body—not only as form and structure, but as a powerful vessel for expression.

 

 

Several artistic styles and movements draw me, versus a single one. Artists from different periods and backgrounds, both living and historical, have expanded the way I see and work. My techniques reflect a varied practice, shaped by life drawing, large-format theatre, mural painting, and scenic art.

 

 

I especially enjoy working at a large scale. There is a freedom in it: the physicality of the process, the reach of the gesture, and the way a painting can hold space. Yet scale is only one part of the decision, and my work differs in size. I vary my brushwork according to the story behind an image, allowing each mark to contribute to its atmosphere and meaning.

 

 

Titles are among the most challenging parts of making a painting. They are never an afterthought. I want a title to gather a metaphor, an idea, or a story into just a few words—to offer a point of entry without explaining away the work. Finding language that captures the essence of an image can take as much consideration as the image itself.

 

 

Ultimately, my goal is to connect with a shared human experience. I hope that viewers find something in my work that feels familiar, even if their own stories are different from the ones that first inspired it. My pieces are found in private collections both nationally and internationally They has received awards and been published in art journals. These milestones are meaningful, but the connection between a painting and the person who encounters it remains at the heart of my practice.

 

Jana Jaros invites you to follow on Instagram. 

 

Want to stay current on cutting edge business articles from Artsy Shark, plus artist features, and an invitation to the next Call for Artists? Click below to sign up for our twice-monthly email. You’ll get all this plus opportunities and special offers that you can’t get anywhere else!