Jennifer Agricola Mojica
Contemporary painter based in San Antonio, Texas
ABOUT
Jennifer Agricola Mojica is a contemporary painter, educator, and mother based in San Antonio, Texas. Her paintings are influenced by the journey she has taken as both an artist and mother. Living in several cities during her formative years, adapting to new experiences at an early age, and transitions through motherhood are suggested through her compositions. Agricola Mojica’s work conveys shifting perspectives and figures, layers that conceal and reveal, monotonous repetition punctured by shapes, and suggestions of a fragmented time and space. Agricola Mojica has exhibited across the U.S. and internationally. Her paintings can be found in private collections and has been featured in multiple publications. After earning her BFA in painting from Ohio University College of Fine Arts, Agricola Mojica went on to receive her MFA in sculpture from The University of Texas at San Antonio. Today she splits her time between her studio practice and teaching at St Philip’s College.
ARTIST STATEMENT
In my process, a painting begins with a disruptive start and ends with a harmonious stillness. Planes shift and shapes repeat, forms are portrayed at different vantage points, and figures become fragmented. The chaos then becomes a calm meditative process as I weave concepts and elements together. As an inevitable part of my process, disorderly perceptions of time and space reflect my lived experiences. I revisit childhood memories and moments of disruption in my work, revealing an underlying personal narrative. Additionally, my role as a mother influences the content and composition of my paintings. As I navigate my life and the lives of two children, I find myself in a place of constant learning permeated with challenges. All of these uncomfortable but beautiful experiences punctuate my compositional space. Houses, birds, and figures are frequent motifs that straddle the line between realism and abstraction. I build up and tear down images－constructing, covering, and unearthing compositions. This process provides a dialogue between the creator, the artwork, and the viewer. The interconnected distortions and repetition of shapes in the figure draw the viewer into the imagery, contributing to the overall reflective mood of my paintings and－ultimately－challenging the viewer to pause, think, and contemplate the work. In doing so, the viewer finds a quiet place to rest amongst the chaos and is able to tap into their own personal and cathartic meaning.
Website: jenniferagricolamojica.com
Instagram: @jenniferagricolamojica