JTR Presents : Transparency
JTR Presents is partnering with the African American Atelier to bring you an exciting exhibition centered around advocating for the Transgender community. The Transparency project harnesses the power of art to amplify the voices, stories, and creations of Transgender and Gender-Expansive individuals. The exhibition showcases an array of artworks contributed by both local and global artists, serving as a platform to increase awareness about Transgender issues and drive conversations about the pivotal role representation plays in shaping people's experiences and realities.
Meet the Curator
Jordan T. Robinson (He/They) is a North Carolina-based artist and emerging curator, who runs a creative services brand to help the community. Originating from New Rochelle, New York, he and his family moved to Greensboro, NC where he was exposed to the arts at an early age. Thanks to the support he received from his family, Robinson cultivated a love for the Arts that later inspired him to attend North Carolina A&T State University, where he obtained his degree in Media Design. Soon after, Robinson enrolled in Savanna College of Art & Design to further the administrative skill sets he developed from producing exhibitions independently.
During his undergraduate years, got more involved with handling the administrative tasks involved in producing an exhibition for the art department, while producing work himself as an artist. After participating in, and setting up, a number of shows, one of Robinson’s mentors encouraged him to pursue a Master’s in Arts Administration, which was a balance for his passion for helping people, particularly other artists, and creatives.
During this time, Robinson often collaborated with other art institutions as he was once an art teacher at the African-American Atelier, a curatorial assistant at GreenHill NC, and frequently shown in the student exhibitions at the Center for Visual Artists. He had also shown at other universities such as the Big SURS exhibition, held in High Point University every few years.
Robinson now uses his education and expertise in both Design and the business of Design to help other creatives establish their career through creative productions aimed at serving diverse and growing communities.
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"Balance is a focus I have in general relating to culture, social issues, faith, actions, and environment as I reflect on external and internal struggles. There are two currently ongoing concepts in my work focusing on creation, the creative process, and identity.
The study of creation is an attempt to visually observe the process as an interaction between thought and feeling. In my painting, illustrations, and printmaking, I start with impulse and rely on my subconscious aesthetics to populate the surface. Oftentimes, this relates to using color, texture, and abnormal shapes to create abstractions and non-representational figures.
From there I then begin adding context to them. I often use lines, “basic” shapes, words, and pencil/pen marks to build structure in a structureless existence. In this part of the process, I am trying to make sense of what my subconscious impulses have made and try to start building a pattern. Once my conscious mind runs out of ideas, I give the steering wheel to my subconscious again to retaliate. In this, thought and emotion interacts as a sort of battle or dance in creating these vivid works populated with visual elements and simple concepts collectively attempting to build complexity.
Identity is an elusive concept to me. Your identity helps others recognize you, however, it also affects your destiny. Similar to the pre-destine debate, your identity can help or hurt your future. This series illustrates identity's influences on human behavior and re-investigates how much we have control over our lives."