Introduction
Personal History
Jen Balef was born in Richardstad in 1941 to a local family. Spending their childhood in Richardstad, Balef acquired a natural affinity in painting their surroundings. After graduating high school in Richardstad, Balef left for Lake Davidville where they began to paint a wider variety of subjects and experiment with new mediums. During this endeavour, Balef discovered surrealism which interested them greatly. Ultimately, Balef enrolled in Louisiana College in order to study surrealism more rigorously, where they have contributed both to the development and research of surrealism. Thier most famous work, Henry Manor, kickstarted their current career.
Current
Jen Balef currently resides in South Jonathanland and works at Louisiana College as a postgraduate at the College of Fine Arts.
Education
Jen Balef graduated from Louisiana College, where they conducted both their undergraduate and graduate studies in fine arts. Balef completed their thesis on surrealism.
Style
Surrealism
Surrealism was created by native artists of Paris in 1902, who sought new methods and techniques to represent the interaction between the ancient history of France and emerging artistic movements during the full bloom of 1924. Owing to its roots, surrealism is distinguished by its thoughts on the unconscious mind and other aspects of reality. Balef has conducted a variety of research and creative efforts in surrealism; please see their list of notable works.
Artists' Community of surrealism
During their graduate years, Jen Balef founded the Artists' Community of surrealism. The Community is dedicated towards the preservation and continuous advancement of surrealism and adjacent genres. The Community convenes annually at Louisiana College for surrealism artists to present their works and discuss novel developments related to surrealism. The exhibition and conference is open to the public and welcomes anyone who would like to participate. Additionally, the Community hosts a summer program at Louisiana College for young artists interested in surrealism.
List of Notable Works
- Henry Manor
- A Gift from Miss Pittman
- Ray's Envy of Mr. Hansen
- Carter Hills