William Turner Gallery is pleased to present our debut solo exhibition for Kim DeJesus, entitled Letter to a Memory. This new series of colorful abstract paintings continues the artist’s exploration of memory - delving into those aspects of life that can be controlled and those that cannot.

“I often perceive my painting practice as a series of letters, or messages to my inner self or the past, and that my paintings are a letter to myself, a record of a moment in life, merging a lived experience I’ve had with the present moment”, DeJesus says.

In these fluidly inventive paintings, DeJesus employs additive and subtractive gestures to elicit complex, visual tensions. 

Fragmented compositions mirror the complexities of memory and the elusive nature of self-understanding, as the artist seeks to unravel the interconnectedness of memories and the disjointed nature of personal narratives. Using layers and washes, removing material or occasionally cutting up paintings, DeJesus often merges old and new paintings to tell a new story and explore how memories connect. 

Utilizing a process that embraces both the intentional and the accidental, the paintings evidence an ongoing conversation between artist, material and image. The spontaneity of colorful washes stand in contrast to the intentionality of overlaid marks and added materials. Fields of color are manipulated to move, but complete control is not always an option, nor the point. 

Discussing her palette, DeJesus says, “I gravitate to using bright colors - pastel or even neon hues. These colors have an intensity that chimes with my inner world. I use them in a chaotic, often optically dissonant way, or in a way that I wouldn’t always expect. For me, it is not about the beauty of the colors, or their attention getting qualities, but their fantastical intensity. I feel in tune with their dreamlike qualities and the memory experiences they inspire. These childlike hues reflect the nostalgic essence of childhood experiences, serving as a reminder that the child within us never truly disappears.”

Explaining further, the artist states; “While my work is purely abstract, and non-representational, gestures often suggest forms that repeat and I’ll begin to categorize them. Portal motifs have emerged in my work over the years and in this body of work, I have come to see them as mirrors and caves. A mirror symbolizes a surface of reflection and containment, while a cave is a geographical formation you can physically enter. Both represent portals of transformation, femininity, and spiritual transcendence and for me become gateways to inner exploration.”

Letter to a Memory suggests a personal and intimate journey through memories, reflecting on experiences and emotions in an exploration of self and DeJesus’ relationship to the past.