Jaclyn Gordyan
Living and working in the deciduous forests of Michigan, Jaclyn Gordyan is an artist and sculptor. Gordyan has been a practicing artist since 1999 and holds a BFA with summa cum laude distinction from Columbus College of Art and Design. Despite having only recently started exhibiting her work and sharing her practice beyond her studio, Gordyan quickly gained recognition, including securing an international artist residency in 2024, acceptance into an NYC artist group she exhibits with, having her work featured in international publications such as Studio Visit Magazine and Arts to Hearts Project, and being shortlisted for an international Emerging Female Artist Award in 2023.
Gordyan has worked in various mediums, including oils, ceramics, raku, woven textures, acrylic, graphite, and photography. Her work has grown from realism into an abstract and sculptural breadth, where she integrates natural-found materials and the classical techniques she’s practiced over her career.
Her work is informed by Abstract Minimalism, Art Informel, Gestural Abstraction, and the natural world. She studied under renowned multidisciplinary artist Ty Nathan Clark and is influenced by artists such as Lee Krasner, Andy Goldsworthy, Mary Oliver, Yuval Noah Harari, Magdalena Abakanowicz, Leonardo Drew, El Anatsui, and Ibrahim Mahama.
Jaclyn has exhibited and published her work internationally and across the U.S. in places such as New York City, Chicago, L.A., Michigan, and Newfoundland. Her work supports global reforestation through a non-profit partnership promoting natural diversity and supporting ecosystems for future generations. She hopes to continue to experience new locations through artist residencies, as her work is infused with new qualities that strengthen her vision and impact.
Artist Statement
Our connection to nature is ancestral.
Through my work, I recognize this primal connection as I am stirred by humans as a species, our emotional experiences that drive our behavior, and under-appreciated facets of the natural world from which we came. As a result of these influences, I continually experiment with processes, mediums, and concepts as the nature of the work itself takes on a life of its own, not remaining static but ever-evolving.
My process involves foraging, preservation, and creation in equal parts. I often travel to new locations to discover and collect organic material. Once I have the materials in the studio, I begin sculpting and preserving them through drying, resins, and hardeners as needed. Initially, this process is slow, allowing me to meditate on the aspects of the piece that drew me to it and highlight something of emotional resonance.
Through each body of work I create, I use nature to express human experiences. By centering on a specific story, I make meaning and build back our connection. I show viewers the lens through which I view nature.
I find this lens powerful in an ever-distracting and demanding world. It's hard to stand in nature feeling awe and be anxious about tomorrow. It's difficult to be present and think about something that happened yesterday. While nature isn’t here to serve us, it can be a grounding force if we treat it with the reverence it deserves.
www.jaclyngordyan.com
