Elaine Jek
BIOGRAPHY
Born in Singapore, Elaine Jek is a multidisciplinary artist residing in California. She celebrates Nature in the form of Ceramics, Botanical Illustration, Silversmithing and Lapidary. She attained a B.A. in Studio Arts at Loyola Marymount University, California.
ARTIST STATEMENT
I am writing this in a room in my house. I want to say that I am describing the future: that everything around me has been produced by machines almost without human touch, but this is my reality now. Only my artwork are solely created by a human, by me. And even then I need a potters wheel and a kiln to create my ceramics to be symmetrical but not identical.
I want my artwork to be, or rather I accept that my artwork is very human. There is beauty in mishap, I want to elevate the evidence of process instead of hide how things were made. The marks where prongs grab onto the vessel to lift it from the searing hot kiln to the reduction chamber is beautiful. The captured spin of clay on the wheel is intriguing.
With my latest artwork, Nature seeps in. Like dragonfly wings the vases are iridescent. Like plant seeds they have burrs. And when I carry each back from the firing they are heavy and warm to the touch.
-Elaine Jek.
EXHIBITIONS & ACTIVITY
2022
• Art in Clay
Lucie Stern Community Center, Palo Alto, CA
-Ceramics
2020
• Plants Illustrated: Rare and Endangered Plants
UC Berkeley Botanical Gardens. Berkeley, CA
-Watercolor botanical illustration
2019
• Art Teacher with Trendy Crafts
Roy Cloud Elementary School. Redwood City, CA
• Art Facilitator with My First Art Class
Palo Alto Art Center. Palo Alto, CA
2018
• Artist Mom Exhibition
Mitchell Park Community Center. Palo Alto, CA
-Ceramics
2017
• The Alcatraz Florilegium
The Orinda Library. Orinda, CA
-Giclée of Watercolor botanical illustration
2016
• The Gardens of Alcatraz Florilegium
UC Berkeley Botanical Gardens. Berkeley, CA
-Watercolor botanical illustration
• Open Studio
Palo Alto, CA
-Watercolor botanical illustration, oil paintings, ceramics, silverwork & lapidary
2015
• Plants Illustrated
UC Berkeley Botanical Gardens. Berkeley, CA
-Watercolor botanical illustration
• Selections from the Alcatraz Florilegium
Stinson Beach Library. Stinson Beach, CA
-Watercolor botanical illustration
2014
• The Gardens of Alcatraz Florilegium
Greening Gallery. Marin Headlands, CA
-Watercolor botanical illustration
• Filoli’s 16th Annual Botanical Art Exhibition
Filoli. Woodside, CA
-Watercolor botanical illustration
• Northern California Society of Botanical Artists Exhibition
San Francisco Flower and Garden Show. San Mateo, CA
-Watercolor botanical illustration
• ArtScape
Hayward City Hall Rotunda, Hayward, CA
-Watercolor botanical illustration
2013
• The Gardens of Alcatraz Florilegium
Alcatraz Prison Band Room. Alcatraz Island, CA
-Watercolor botanical illustration
2012
• Silicon Valley Open Studios
Palo Alto, CA
-Watercolor botanical illustration, oil paintings
• NuFact 2012 Conference, Solo Exhibition
College of William & Mary. Williamsburg, VA
-Oil paintings
• Charles Street Garden Show
Sunnyvale, CA
-Watercolor botanical illustration, silverwork & lapidary, oil paintings
• Tandem Art Show
Hayward, CA
-Watercolor botanical illustration, silverwork & lapidary, oil paintings
2011
• 100th Jubilee Celebration of St Albert the Great
Palo Alto, CA
-Watercolor botanical illustration, oil paintings
2010
• Holiday Boutique and Gift Show
Sun Gallery. Hayward, CA
-Watercolor botanical illustration, silverwork & lapidary, oil paintings
2007
• Holiday Gift Gallery
Phantom Studios. San Jose, CA
-Watercolor botanical illustration, silverwork & lapidary, oil paintings
• Anti-War Medals II: A response to the war in Iraq
Thomas Mann Gallery I/O. New Orleans, LA
(this show led to a touring exhibition)
-Silverwork & lapidary
2004
• Metal Arts Guild Exhibition
Oakland Museum of California's Collectors Gallery. Oakland, CA
-Silverwork & lapidary
2003
• Anti-War Medals I: A response to the war in Iraq
Velvet da Vinci. San Francisco, CA
-Silverwork & lapidary
2002
• Silicon Valley Open Studios
Los Altos, CA
-Watercolor botanical illustration, silverwork & lapidary, oil paintings
ART FAIRS AND SHOWS
2002 - 2005
• Sequoia Gem & Mineral Society
Redwood City, CA
-Silverwork & lapidary
2002 – 2004
• Little House Bazaar
Menlo Park, CA
-Silverwork & lapidary
2002 – 2004
• United Methodist Church
Craft Faire, Los Altos, CA
-Silverwork & lapidary
WRITINGS
2022 Published in The Botanical Artist
Journal of the American Society of Botanical Artists
Vol 28 Issue 2
Article: "Monster or Muse?"
Artwork: "Nepenthes Ephippiata 'Danser' "
2017 Published in The Botanical Artist
Journal of the American Society of Botanical Artists
Vol 23 Issue 3
Article: "Musings While Painting a Deadly Nightshade"
Artwork: "Solanum marginatum"
IN THE MEDIA
2016 Published in Public Garden
Magazine of the American Public Gardens Association
Vol 31 Issue 2
Artwork: "Pyracantha coccinea"
2007 Published in Art Jewelry Today 2
Edited by Jeffrey B. Snyder, Schiffer Publishing
Artwork: "Bullet"
TOURING GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2007
• Anti-War Medals - expanded to 200 artists from 16 countries
Hosted first by Gallery I/O, New Orleans, LA
https://www.flickr.com/photos/galleryio/albums/72157602326245773/
-Silverwork & lapidary
2003 - 2005
• Anti-War Medals
Hosted first by Velvet daVinci, San Francisco, CA
Tour included shows at Electrum Gallery in London, UK, in Norway and Spain
-Silverwork & lapidary
AWARDS
2004 San Mateo County Fair - Gold Award in Jewelry
2004 Opal Traders International Jewelry Award
EDUCATION
1990 B.A. in Studio Arts
Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, CA, USA