Instagram: @j.klassen.artspot

Graduating in 2018 with his BFA from the University of the Fraser Valley and currently pursuing his MFA at the University of Calgary, Jesse explores themes around spiritual and religious identity in the 21st century.

Throughout his education Jesse has pursued a culturally diverse foundation by engaging in study-abroad programs and summer courses around the world. His travels and search for new learning perspectives have taken him far and wide; including several semesters at the University of Arts in Poznan, Poland; a drawing program at Sichuan Normal University in Sichuan Province, China; a six week spiritual studies retreat in Schladming, Austria; two years of theological study in BC, Canada; and a four week cultural exchange program which took him up and down the South American country of Guatemala. Through his extensive travel and learning experiences, Jesse has pursued knowledge and artistic education through cultural exchange, taking particular interest in peoples vibrant spiritual and religious practices. Working in a wide array of visual media including painting, sculpture, and performance Jesse approaches art making through ritualistic production. His works bring into service abstraction, surrealism, symbology, and theology to engage in visual storytelling and spiritual exploration. These works are realized across a diverse range of styles and techniques suggesting a connection to the multiple influences found during his global studies. Through his creative synthesis, Jesse aims to explore the connections between art and contemporary faith identities ultimately disseminating new knowledge concerning the use of artistic production as a method of theological enquiry.

In his current MFA research at the University of Calgary, Jesse is engaging with art theory and criticism working to develop interpretive structures when engaging theological subject matter in academia. Under current formulations, methods of criticism often fail to take spiritual significance seriously opting for hermeneutics that categorize such beliefs as mere delusion. As contemporary western culture continues to develop into the 21st century however, spiritual and religious identity, quite notably, seem to be increasing in public significance. By engaging in this research Jesse hopes to add to the growing body of scholarly and artistic production that considers the diverse spiritual and religious identity of peoples as paramount to cultural growth in the Western World.

Artistic Disciplines: Painting, Mixed Media, Sculpture