STATEMENT

The overarching theme of my recent portraits is the acknowledgment of human courage.

Persisters is an ongoing series of large-scale portrait paintings representing trailblazing women in their pursuit of justice. The women featured are modern, complex, and as tenacious as they are valiant, challenging the present political climate with renewed energy in this particularly arduous time for women.

Hillary Clinton was the original inspiration for the series when she became the first female democratic candidate for President of the United States in 2016. This portrait began the series simply as a celebration of the achievements of a particular woman. But as the set of Persisters paintings has grown, I also want to represent the women as the multi faceted leaders they are by focusing on the psychological aspects of each woman while recognizing their courageous stance in the modern political sphere. As a whole, the series approaches politics from a humanitarian angle, which I feel is inherently female.

I proudly attended the Womens March on Washington in January 2017, the largest single day of protest in US history and across the world. This was an extremely profound and empowering moment for me being among thousands of women who refused to remain silent. On my return home, I felt deeply compelled to respond to the extreme political crisis I was experiencing. I began painting various female figures I saw fearlessly standing up in resistance.

I make large-scale formal portraits in an effort to magnify and honor the endeavors and accomplishments of these female champions in the way that white men have been revered for theirs throughout the history of portraiture. Each portrait serves the purpose of keeping these women prominent and recognized, but also represents my own personal navigation through the modern political climate.

Currently at seventeen portraits, I consider this project my life’s work.

BIO

Jo Hay is a contemporary British American portrait painter. Born in 1964 in Newcastle Upon-Tyne, England, she received her BA from Middlesex University, London, UK in 1983 and her MFA from the New York Academy of Art, NY, NY, 2012.

Hay was the first recipient of the Lillian Orlowsky and William Freed Foundation Grant 2010 sponsored in part by the Provincetown Art Association and Museum and the recipient of the New York Academy of Art Portrait Scholarship 2011. Her portrait from the Benders series entitled Dodger was a semi-finalist in the BP Portrait Award 2015 at the National Gallery in London and was a finalist in Art For Freedom A Global Initiative curated by Madonna.

Hay was also the main subject of a documentary She is Juiced by British director Lois Norman. It was screened at Tate Modern in 2017 as part of the ground-breaking Queer Britain exhibition and the London Pride launch 2017. The film has received outstanding reviews and won best documentary at both the New Renaissance Film Festival in Amsterdam and Brighton Rocks film festival in Brighton, UK. 

She Is listed in The Top 100 Figurative Painters Working Right Now, 2018 by Didi Menendez, BuzzFeed.

In February 2022, Hay was selected as the Arts Foundation of Cape Cod’s inaugural Artist of the Year.

Hay currently lives and works in Provincetown MA. 

CV

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