Ctrl + S : Featured Artists
I Promise
James Negron, 2024
James Negron (
Sculpture and Expanded Media , 2024)
BFA, Cleveland Institute of Art
@fruitisgudd on Instagram
Published : (April 22, 2024)
Ctrl + S : Tell us about yourself!
James Negron :
I’m a Sculpture and Expanded Media senior, mostly working in fiber and textiles. My current body of
work focuses on my experiences with mental health, navigating gender and identity, and how both have
impacted my memory. I’m originally from New Jersey and with being at such a distance from my family,
of course, I also express the profound longing to be home in my work through house sculptures,
hand-sewn silhouettes of my family members, and video works with footage from my childhood. I’m also
in love with art education, so a lot of the processes I use in my work are grounded in DIY aesthetics,
which are very affordable and accessible in my practice, when I’m teaching, and working with children!
which are very affordable and accessible in my practice, when I’m teaching, and working with children!
Ctrl + S : What are some of the motivations for your piece?
JN : I Promise is about grief, memory loss, and unconditional love. The silhouette depicted is of my father,
who died ten years ago. I made the screenprint around his death anniversary as a celebration of our
relationship and as a means to provide me catharsis. It’s really hard to miss someone while simultaneously
struggling to retain the memory of that person and keep them alive somehow. My intention with the frame
and thread is to represent the internal battle, tension, and frustration of losing memory by capturing and
holding the canvas tightly in the center. Even without sharing any personal details about this piece, it
communicates ideas about grief and absence very clearly.
Ctrl + S : What is your process like?
JN: I like to work alone, often with music or a show playing in the background, and plenty of snacks around.
My inspiration comes from my family, lived experiences, and fragments of my memory. My work is very
vibrant in color, tactically soft, and generally playful, though the content is a lot darker and serious. But
I’m not a very serious person! I often smile or laugh in seemingly inappropriate and awkward situations,
which is a sort of coping mechanism that bleeds into my artwork. It makes things easier to talk about and
since I have to professionally talk about my work, process, and meaning, I need to do it in a way that
makes me comfortable and doesn't cause me any further distress.
Ctrl + S : Any general goals for yourself and/or your art?
JN: My goal after graduation is to continue working with nonprofit organizations that are involved in art and art education. I’d also like to do more community projects and socially engaged artwork in the Cleveland area.
makes me comfortable and doesn't cause me any further distress.
Ctrl + S : Any general goals for yourself and/or your art?
JN: My goal after graduation is to continue working with nonprofit organizations that are involved in art and art education. I’d also like to do more community projects and socially engaged artwork in the Cleveland area.