Jenny Schade is a figurative painter working in oil, whose portraits deal with a wide range of subject matter. Elements of abstract expressionism and realism are important technical traits present in her work. Her figures range in gender and age. They are often placed in ambiguous locations, sometimes suggesting an urban environment. All the portraits she paints are not actually of people she knows: they are recreations and interpretations of many different people.
Her work investigates the human condition in contemporary times. There is an emphasis on the importance, understanding and exploration of individuality and identity in increasingly fast-paced times. References to art history are also present in her work as the portrait itself is a very loaded subject. Focusing on portraiture is very important for Schade as she believes that portraits explore the world through representations of the individuals in it and that we can all relate to a portrait in some way.
Schade’s paintings are very ambiguous and emotionally evocative as they force and remind the viewer of emotion and vulnerability. The sensitivity and the vulnerability beneath the shell is something every human being can relate to.
Schade is in her third year of the painting and drawing program at Concordia. She has already had several solo and group exhibitions, is illustrating a book, has done many commissions and is always working on new paintings.
