Jia Hendrick is a California raised; New York City based artist. She is primarily known for her bold prints that embody the natural female form with a splash of vibrant unsaturated colour.

How long have you been an artist?
That depends how you define the term artist. I only started painting as a profession about a year ago, but I’ve been artistic my whole life. When I was a baby my mother would create pieces with my finger paintings, and by the time I was 3 I was tracing her drawings. Ever since then, drawing has been an obsession of mine - in fact I would always get in trouble at school for doodling in the back of class. Over the years my “doodles” would become these intricate and realistic portraits of women, which eventually led to my painting style.

How would you describe your work?
I would describe my work as minimal illustrations of the feminine form, combined with photo-realistic portraiture in a contemporary style.

Who are your biggest influences?
That’s hard to say. I’m constantly inspired my other artists, but the works of other artists don’t directly influence my style of painting, since I consider my personal style to be unique - the pieces I create are my own ideas that I’ve had in mind for a long time. If anything, I’m influenced the most by fashion photography, which is also where I find a lot of my subject matter.

What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced as an artist?
So far I’d say my biggest challenge has been overcoming the fear of failure. Learning to bear my soul on a canvas and share my art with the world without falling victim to the fear of criticism. I have to continuously remind myself why I paint, which is not to impress others or reach a certain level of materialistic success, but rather to express myself by bringing my ideas to life, and uniting people through the love of something I’ve created.

If you could describe your art in 3 words, what would they be?
Vibrant. Provocative. Alive.

How has your work changed over the years?
My work has dramatically changed within the past year. Most of my previous artwork consisted of freehand sketches or minimal outlines of women. Over the course of quarantine, I combined these two styles within a much larger scale to create my “Colorful” series. Acrylic paint was somewhat of a new medium for me, but within a short period of time my work improved very suddenly by becoming more refined and realistic. After a certain point, my paintings became so detailed that I’d shock myself with the realism of my own work. It’s a really cool feeling to look at one of your pieces and think to yourself, “How did I do that?”

Where do you see yourself in five years?
In 5 years I’d love to have my work recognized throughout the world. Whether that’s by being shown in various galleries, as murals, or through collaboration with other creative industries such as fashion or music. I have so many ideas for the future that my mind feels like it’s going to explode from everything I can’t wait to create. However, I’m aware that so far what I envision for the future is limited to the confines of my imagination, and I should have no attachment to the outcome since there are so many directions my art can go. I love just being on this journey and I’m looking forward to where it takes me.

What projects are you currently working on?
I’m currently working on a new series I am very excited to share. It will involve the same style of line work seen in my “Colorful” series, but with even larger scale female portraits. I also will be including a more diverse range of women. These paintings will be all about the eyes, and the raw emotion of eye-contact, hoping to inspire a sense of vulnerability from the viewer.

What has been your greatest accomplishment in art to-date
So far my greatest accomplishment has simply been finishing a series. I’m one of those people who loves starting new projects, but struggles seeing them through, so it was a proud moment for me to bring one of my ideas to completion. I know that in the course of my career it is only one small step, but making that small step has provided me with the confidence to keep pushing forward and testing the limits of what I’m capable of.

Where can people purchase your art?
Currently I am working independently, so anyone interested in my work can contact connect@jesuisjia.com to arrange a studio visit or inquire about available pieces.

You can follow Jia on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jesuisjia/