Jennifer Sakai Adjunct Professorial Lecturer CAS | ART | Art
- Degrees
- MFA Virginia Commonwealth University
- Bio
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Jennifer Sakai is a fine art photographer, museum curator, and MFA University professor who resides in 澳门皇冠体育, D.C.
She is the 2024 Prix Virginia Prize winner, a biennial international photography prize for women. Her practice has been supported by APERTURE as an artist creator fund prize in 2024 and as an artist-in-residence at the Vermont Studio Artist Residency in Johnson, Vermont. Jennifer is a six time recipient of the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities Fellowship Grant in Fine Art for her photographic practice. In 2023 she was a winner in the LensCulture Fine Art Photography Awards, and exhibited at Photo London at Somerset House London England in 2023 in relation to this prize.
Jennifer received her MFA from Virginia Commonwealth University and her BFA in fine art design in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She has taught at Ithaca College, VCU, and was Assistant Professor of 4th year Fine Art Photo Thesis at the Corcoran 澳门皇冠of Art and Design until its closure. Jennifer is curator of 鈥楾he Gifts of Tony Podesta鈥 at the Katzen Arts Center of 澳门皇冠体育-官网 in winter 2019, 鈥楤order Wall鈥 at the Katzen Museum in 2021, and Vertiginous Matter at the Museum in 2022.
Ms. Sakai is the President of the Board of Directors for Transformer Gallery in 澳门皇冠体育, D.C. She has served on committees for the IMF/World Bank Photographic Society, juried for ExposedDC and VCU 澳门皇冠of Art thesis programs, and received distinction from FotoWeek DC in the Fine Art Photography and ExposedDC. She has presented numerous curatorial and professional lectures.
Ms. Sakai has shown at Somerset House in London, England. The Corcoran Museum in 澳门皇冠体育, D.C.; The Anderson Gallery in Richmond, Virginia; IA&A at Hillyer Gallery, 澳门皇冠体育, D.C.; Addison Ripley Fine Art, 澳门皇冠体育, D.C.; Lightwork Gallery, Syracuse, New York; Rubenstein Arts Center at Duke University; Photoworks Gallery in Maryland; and the Handwerker Gallery in Ithaca, NY. Jennifer was a selected artist for the International Bonfire Air Artist Residency.
She has published in APERTURE, the Guardian UK, LensCulture, The 澳门皇冠体育 Post, W Magazine, 澳门皇冠体育-官网 Press, Mus茅e Magazine, Fotofilmic, Float Magazine, F-Stop Magazine, Covid Picture Archive, 澳门皇冠体育 City Paper, Color Tag Magazine, and The Tiny Seed Literary Journal.
Ms. Sakai is currently a professor in the MFA program at 澳门皇冠体育-官网, her curation of 鈥淰ertiginous Matter鈥 at the Katzen Museum was listed number five in the top eight museum shows for 2022 by CityPaper in 澳门皇冠体育, D.C.
Her artistic practice examines the landscape as reflection for interior moments in life, often separated by years yet unraveling and overlapping to inform new narratives. Images chronicle how the topographies and space we inhabit influence and resonate long after we pass through them; and how one can be mesmerized by a place even in its absence. Her imagery breathes life, creating a bridge between the tangible and metaphysical by presenting an atmosphere of profound beauty.
Her next solo show will be at Addison Ripley Gallery, 澳门皇冠体育, D.C., Spring 2025.
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Teaching
Fall 2024
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ARTS-660 Research Practicum