Today, we’d like to introduce you to Julia Roland.
Hi Julia, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I am a local artist in Savannah, Georgia. Growing up, my mother would take me out for girl’s day to different museums and art events around the city. I think that’s where my love for art began. She would always place me in an art or sport-related summer camp during my time off from school.
I went to Garrison from 3rd grade to 8th grade (a visual and performing arts school) and attended Savannah Arts Academy for high school, where I hyper-focused on visual arts. Next, it felt foolish not to go to SCAD. Now, in my last quarter at SCAD and soon earning my BFA in painting, I can appreciate my gradual yet consistent relationship with art from a young age.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Growing up, I was also interested in sports, specifically basketball. When it came to deciding where to go to high school, I had to decide between my secured varsity spot on the girl’s basketball team at Islands High School and my love and skill for visual arts at Savannah Arts Academy. I felt like to pursue something that I loved, and I had to also give up something in return.
Aside from that, I think that my main obstacle was my self-confidence in my work. Being an artist is lonely at times, and you need to have the drive and passion to turn it into a career. This frightened me, and I worried about being able to maintain outside of the structure of the school. Now, I feel a bit more confident, but I still find myself learning how to deal with rejection.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Artist Statement: For as long as I can remember, all I’ve wanted was to be truly seen. Intersectionality, the driving theme of the work, is the interconnected nature and overlapping of social classes as they apply to an individual.
A theme that is prevalent in my everyday life as I navigate America as a black queer woman from the South. Through acknowledgment and confrontation, we can learn to reach an empathetic understanding of the multifaceted lives around us.
As the work is created, different layers of my identity as a black, queer woman seep through the cracks. My blackness thrives within the rich skin tones of deep saturation, extensive value ranges, and unmatched hairstyles. My queerness shines within the bold, expressive marks inspired by pride and spunky figural poses. My womanhood simply lies within every visibly curved brushstroke and crafty pattern, a gentle hand speaking of truth.
The face is the focal point of each piece, as I believe it is the window to the essence of your soul. The face is the first thing you see when addressing a new being. The face provides a form of expression that the body could never achieve. Figures in my work often stare out into the world, reflecting hope in their eyes. Rendered faces demand attention to their existence through unbreakable eye contact and offer a form of authentic connection. An exchange of vulnerable glimpses from being to being, attempting to be understood.
Now, the figures that I render often wear this solid color protective suit or mask that only reveals the contents of their face. I think that this style has become my niche as I keep making work under this theme. I love using bold colors and shapes in my work and want to evoke emotion in whoever comes across it. I’m most proud of the range of work that I have and how it still fits under the theme of intersectionality.
In a way, it’s hard not to make work about people or yourself. In a way, that’s all we know. So I find it interesting finding new ways on how to render my figures to capture their essence rather than just their physical existence.
What do you think about happiness?
I think connections with people who feel honest and comfortable even in the midst of this chaotic world is a major thing that makes me happy.
I also really enjoy being outside and seeing other people outside. I love to move my body, whether it’s dancing or playing a game, and the element of nature always heightens my experience. As you can see, I thrive on my experiences with others, but that doesn’t mean I don’t value my alone time.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.juliaroland.com/home
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/j.r.art_/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/julia.roland.948
