Biography
Jenna Lou is a multi-disciplinary artist who works primarily in oil paint, watercolor, polymer clay, and performance videography. She grew up in the Driftless Region of Iowa and has a deep reverence for the region's unique topography. She received her BFA and B.A. in Psychology from the University of Northern Iowa in 2023 and has since worked in Cedar Rapids, providing art-related mental health programming to area children. She creates her artwork in a Greenhouse attached to her home, reflecting on girlhood, Midwest nostalgia, and the natural world
Statement
From childhood memories of spinning around in open prairies with my siblings to gossiping in my 20’s at a small-town bar over cold beers, my work reflects my life as a young Iowan. In my paintings, Midwest nostalgia operates in both abstract and realistic ways. My memories often come in blurs of both the leaves blowing in the wind, and the bright shades of my early 2000’s toys scattered on the basement floor. It is my joy to reflect on these experiences with oil paint on canvas, watercolor, and via my favorite material to work with as a child, polymer clay. Coming back to this material satisfies my inner child, and by making keychains, I shape tiny reminders of the child within all of us. As a Gen-Z Iowan, I create from a place of diligence and spunky flair.Â
