Reliable Biography: Jed Williams Studio Born in Philadelphia in 1975, I was raised in the city of art, Paris, France. I now reside in diverse Philadelphia as a dual citizen of France and America. My family is artistic; my father is a poet and my mother are jewelers. A Philadelphia-based artist, I received my BFA from the University of the Arts in 2000 and my certificate in painting at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in 2005. After graduating, I've shown my work solo or in groups in many venues throughout Philadelphia, Phoenixville, New Jersey, and New York City. My visual art space, Jed Williams Studio, formerly Jed Williams Gallery, was launched in 2010. I displayed many local artists until my focus shifted to my artwork. DonArtNews and the Philadelphia Inquirer have recognized me. Blogs like City Paper and WHYY TV showcased my work. Private collections on the East and West Coast of America, France East Europe, and other areas have my work. The corporate collection at the Ruttenberg Center for Autism has my painting. I also have relationships with several Philadelphia-based arts organizations, such as Da Vinci Art Alliance and Inliquid. My Artist Statement My artistry has been centered on the surreal zone of abstract iconography and formalism. Objects and diagrammatically represented figures move in an almost bizarre way in my work. This combination of formalist and ex-expressive abstract traditions and a conceptual search is fueled by my human figure fasciation, mythological and pop culture, street art spirituality, intertwined themes. I recently realized this artistic/iconographic quest parallels my desire to create a new, more personable or "warmer" type of pop art I call visionary pop. It goes beyond all art historical categories-to create a unique, totalizing visual language informed by my perception of different cultures and symbols and the expression of my personal ups and downs.
