BIOGRAPHY
Grace McJack is a contemporary painter currently based in Boise, ID, known for exploring themes of time, memory, and the human experience through her acrylic paintings. With a degree in Studio Art from the University of Utah, she draws inspiration from personal experiences and the nuances of everyday life.
Grace’s work has received recognition for its evocative imagery and emotional depth. She often incorporates elements of abstraction to reflect the fragmented nature of memory and perception, inviting viewers to engage with the complexities of their own narratives.
In her most recent body of work, "A Deafening Kind of Silence," Grace explores the emotional landscape of moving to a new town, capturing the interplay between absence and presence in unfamiliar environments. Through this exploration, she seeks to foster connections and dialogues about the experiences that shape our identities.
EDUCATION
University of Utah
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art | Emphasis in Painting and Drawing
Salt Lake City, UT
Recipient of the Florence Ware Scholarship
Recipient of the Tuition Waiver Scholarship
EXHIBITIONS
2024 | The Art of Giving | Idaho Art Gallery
Saint Alphonsus Festival of Trees | Boise, ID
2024 | Tea Time | Gittins Gallery
University of Utah
2024 | Annual Juried Exhibition | Gittins Gallery
University of Utah
2023 | 20% Alizarin 5% Ultramarine | KT Gallery
Helper, UT
2023 | Spring Show | Greenroom Gallery
Salt Lake Acting Company | Salt Lake City, UT
2023 | Annual Juried Exhibition | Gittins Gallery
University of Utah
ARTIST STATEMENT
I often grapple with the fleeting nature of the present and the intricate relationship we have with memory. We can live each moment only once; yet, those moments echo through time, transformed by our experiences and perceptions. Each recollection is not a direct reflection of what was, but rather a reinterpretation shaped by emotion, context, and the passage of time.
This exploration reveals how memories can be both a refuge and a source of distortion. They carry the weight of our joys and sorrows, yet they are inherently mutable, slipping away from us even as we try to hold on. Through my paintings, I seek to capture this paradox—the beauty and fragility of moments that exist only in the now, yet linger in our minds, altered and redefined.
Using primarily acrylic on panel, I aim to describe the complexities of memory, employing abstraction and fragmentation to reflect how we experience time. My work invites viewers to confront their own perceptions, encouraging a dialogue about the ways in which we remember, forget, and ultimately reshape our narratives.