Artist Bio + Statement

As an Ohio native, Jamarr (JR) Neyland graduated from Kent State University with a Bachelor of Art, with a concentration in Painting. He graduated in 2019 with a Master’s of Science in Education with a focus on childhood Learning and Behavior Disability. He currently instructs students with Autism at a creative arts therapy center, located in Hackensack, New Jersey. Currently, he has a painting studio located in Jersey City, New Jersey where he is a resident artist.

As a queer African-American visual artist, my artwork explores the trials, progress, and struggles of the black man and his family. While reacquainting with my youth in the Midwest, I developed a series of work that looks at young black children, reminiscent of my youth. These images explore the entirety of their conflicts, fears, and accomplishments. I create art from these emotional experiences from my past youth that is reflected in the images I capture in the paintings of families and children.

I find inspiration for my work in current events, notably those in devastation and distress, but also in the triumphs and achievements of notable black individuals. I want the viewer to create a dialogue between themselves and the subject painted, as the viewer begins to explore their interpretation of the subject’s story of trepidation and success within today’s society.