Jen Orpin | Rogue Artists' Studios CIC

Jen Orpin

Jen Orpin graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University in 1996 with a degree in Fine Art. She lives in Manchester and joined Rogue Artists’ Studios, Manchester in 2000. Her work is held in public and private collections both nationally and internationally and has been accepted into several Open Art exhibitions. Amongst these are the long list for the Jackson’s Open Painting Prize, The New Light Art Prize, The ING discerning Eye Exhibition, The Wells Art Contemporary, Warrington Contemporary Arts Festival, The Wales Open and the first and second HOME Exhibitions where she was shortlisted on both occasions. She’s also exhibited in galleries in Bolton, Norfolk, Doncaster, Sheffield, Walsall, Liverpool and London and was selected for the 2023 Royal Academy Summer Show. In 2018 she appeared in Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year where the judges chose her in their top three for the heat. In November 2019 and May 2023 she along with a fellow artist co-ordinated a group show of 50 female artists from Rogue Studios including invited guest artists from all over the UK. They co-curated the show in 2019 with Ann Bukantas, head of fine art at the Walker Gallery Liverpool and again in 2023 with Natasha Howes, senior curator at the Manchester Art Gallery in the ground floor gallery at Rogue. This exhibition was created out of a need to shine a light on female artists often overlooked in the art world and the gender imbalance that’s still present today. Jen has had two solo shows, one in 2021, a 10 week solo show at the Manchester Modernist Society and her paintings appeared in two publications in conjunction with the Modernist Society and a project called Landscapes of Post War Infrastructure. The second was in March 2023, a three week solo show and four weekend gallery residency at Saul Hay Gallery Manchester. In May 2021 her motorway paintings featured in the Guardian online and The Observer’s New Review arts and culture magazine and again in Jan 2023 when one of her paintings appeared in the ‘On My Radar’ feature. Jen is an associate member of the Manchester Academy of Fine Arts (MAFA) and can be found on the artists platform Gertrude. She is currently represented by Saul Hay Fine Art Gallery Manchester.

The structures I focus on, often constructed from concrete and metal, brutal in nature, straddle well travelled motorways and roads, familiar landmarks that evoke feelings of nostalgia often formed from memories of childhood journeys. Unchanged and built to last, they offer sturdiness and a consistent presence that spans decades. They may be accompanied by the addition of graffiti or nature might have taken hold where possible, only adding to this presence. By documenting and recording these structures using the language of painting and drawing on the traditions of landscape painting, I aim to expand our perceptions and viewpoints and challenge how we look at these structures in our everyday landscapes.

http://www.jenorpinpaintings.co.uk/

https://www.instagram.com/jenorpinpainter/