New Work 2011

I am still very thankful to have God in my life, and what he brings me through my prayers and my faith--i would be nothing without him. I want to thank everyone my wife, my peers, my teachers for their guidance and support over the years--i know this work has manifested because i am not ever alone. Amen

Artist who are inspiring me these days are Brian Nuda Rosch, John Baldessari. And Galleries who I think are kick Ass locally in the SF bay Area are Anthony Meier, Jessica Silverman, Baer Ridgway, 2nd Floor Space to name a few...

I post my super latest process work on FaceBook. Lets be friends, look forward to hearing from you.

Artist Statement

I try to juxtapose the fragile nature of our lives against the onslaught of consumerism, sports, and entertainment, and to produce images that are sensuous, provocative, unsettling, and even mystical. I consciously adopt an unrefined, unfinished sensibility, but am meticulous in my execution. In a 2007 essay for my solo exhibition at Eleanor Harwood Gallery, the critic and curator Patricia Maloney wrote the following: Whether working on cardboard, paper, in collage, or with text, Ms. De Jesus builds her images and narratives from drawing’s most fundamental quality: line. Shifting between simple outlines and dense patterning, De Jesus uses it like a net, to gather things together that involve everyone. Her figures are often drawn with an economy of effort that does not extend beyond what is necessary for recognition, while her cars, flowers, and elephants are enveloped in an aura of intricate, geometric patterning that is at once psychedelic and transcendent. Similarly, her words are either outlined or blocked, rendering them permeable or weighty, suggesting that one moves through or between her thoughts to capture their meaning. For the past seven years, I have been working on a “Memorial Project,” displayed in a bookstore storefront window in the San Francisco Mission District. The project includes sketches and descriptions of people who have recently passed away, from local neighborhood residents to celebrities, from Susan Sontag to Stanley “Tookie” Williams. There are over seventy drawings in this window at one time, and the project is constantly evolving as new drawings are put up. The San Francisco community visits the window to pay their respects to the recently deceased, to spend time remembering, or to simply be inspired. I see the window as a platform for equality. I have an idealistic vision that the window levels out all the playing field of power; that everyone’s life matters, collectively and individually. I have been showing professionally since 1996 and received my MFA from UC Berkeley in 2004. My work has been exhibited nationally in venues including as the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, LACE in Los Angeles, and the Cue Art Foundation in New York. I recently published a book of my memorial drawings, Hello Now From Everywhere, printed by Allone Press in Berkeley. I have been awarded two Eisner Awards and one Goldie Award for Visual Art in San Francisco. My work has revolved around the idea of sanctuary—how I heal, grow, give thanks, learn to be comfortable with myself and my imperfections, and my overall acceptance of everything. More recently, I have expanded upon my interest in rituals, altars, and prayers. My upcoming project explores the idea that sanctuary is about being aware of the different ways we connect and the different routes we take to obtain peace of mind.

Feel free to contact me for special commisions or if you just want to connect. I am also very open to Museum type venues to do experimental installs which can bring people together. Hearts to you.
New work varies in size-media-etc, contact me if you have any specific material questions, i would be happy to inform you further.