Jenkins
Latest Works
Coffee Talk
When Bison Clash
White Bull
Follow The Leader
Drinkin’ Buddies
Jamin ‘Til the Stars Fade
Put Em Up
Bursting with raw energy, layering bold colors, expressive textures, and urban influences to create a dynamic fusion of curious narratives
and abstraction…
Artist Statement
I am a painter and multidisciplinary artist whose work is shaped by the contrasting landscapes of my life—growing up in Poughkeepsie, NY, with frequent exposure to the urban energy of New York City and Philadelphia, alongside formative years spent in rural Kentucky. This duality informs my artistic language, where the grit of the city collides with the quiet intensity of the countryside, creating a dynamic fusion of urban expression and raw emotional storytelling.
My work draws deeply from Expressionism, particularly the distorted, visceral energies of artists like Kirchner, Baselitz, Beckmann, Condo, Picasso, and Basquiat. Influenced by street art, Naïve Art, and Pop Art, I utilize bold, unrestrained colors, gestural lines, and mixed media techniques—including industrial spray paint and collage—to construct layered narratives that explore identity, masculinity, and belonging. The human figure remains central in my work, often fragmented and distorted, reflecting both personal and collective tensions of self-perception, queerness, and cultural displacement.
Recently, my exploration of masculinity has expanded to include the symbolism of horned animals—powerful, untamed figures that echo themes of identity, dominance, and vulnerability. My interdisciplinary series, Guerrilla Blocks, integrates street art aesthetics with pop culture and queer iconography, further pushing the boundaries of representation and cultural critique.
Currently based in Louisville, KY, I continue to seek inspiration in both the urban landscapes I frequent and the natural surroundings of the Great Lakes and Appalachian Mountains. Whether through painting, collage, or graphic design, my work remains a visual excavation of contrast, emotion, and evolving identity, inviting the viewer to unravel the layered narratives embedded within each piece.
CV
Solo Exhibitions (Select)
2026 “TBD”, KORE Gallery, Louisville, KY
2024 “From Nowhere to Somewhere to Somewhere Else”, KORE Gallery, Louisville, KY
2023 “Tag Your It (Guerrilla Series)”, Revelry Gallery, Louisville, KY
2019 “Moments In Time”, KORE Gallery, Louisville, KY
2017 “Summertime”, Lenihan | Sotheby International, Louisville, KY
2017 ”Somewhere In Between Anxiety & Serenity”, KORE Gallery, Louisville KY
2016 ”An Urban Expression”, Gallery K, Louisville, KY
2016 “Figurative Abstractions”, New Editions Gallery, Lexington, KY
2016 “From Then Till Now”, Andrew Gentile Antiques, Louisville, KY
2015 ”Redefining Street Art” New Editions Gallery, Lexington, KY
2014 ”Exposed”, Entrepôt & AARON MAPP Gallery, Miami, FL
2014 ”Transition”, Regalo Gift’s 4th St Gallery Loft, Louisville, KY
2014 ”Slave to Impulse”, Tim Faulkner Gallery, Louisville, KY
2013 ”Ascertainment”, Regalo Gift’s 4th St Gallery Loft, Louisville, KY
2012 ”Portraits of Expression”, The Gallery at Tech Gallery, Syracuse, NY
2009 ”Untitled”, Floor One Gallery, Beacon, NY
Group Exhibitions (Select)
2023 “Texting”, Emerge Gallery, Saugerties, NY
2023 “Black & White”, KORE Gallery, Louisville, KY (Work Voted Best In Show)
2023 ”Untitled Group Show”, Louisville Thoroughbred Society, Louisville, KY
2022 “Black & White”, KORE Gallery, Louisville, KY
2018 “Welcome Home”, The Galleries at Georgetown College, Georgetown, KY
2018 “Media Circus”, Trio Contemporary Art Gallery, Athens, GA
2018 “Black & White”, KORE Gallery, Louisville, KY
2018 “Mirror, Memory, Identity”, ArtsPlace (LexArts), Lexington, KY
2017 “Riffing Van Gogh”, Caza Sikes, Cincinnati, OH
2017 “Meet Your Neighbors: Feminine and LGBTQ+ Perspectives”, 1619 Flux: Art + Activism, Louisville, KY
2017 ”Queer Voices”, OPEN Community Arts Center, Louisville, KY
2017 ”GRIDWORKS REVISITED!”, New Editions Gallery, Lexington KY
2016 ”Navigate Exhibition”, 1619 Flux: Art + Activism, Louisville, KY
2016 ”Queer Voices”, Gallery K, Louisville, KY
2016 ”Beyond Borders Exhibit”, Pat Harrison Arts Center Gallery, New Albany, IN
2016 ”Touched With Fire”, Kaviar Forge & Gallery, Louisville, KY
2015 ”LVA Open Studio Weekend Exhibition”, Cressman Center, Louisville, KY
2015 ”Artists in Our Midst”, Kaviar Forge & Gallery, Louisville, KY
2015 ”Cinema Killed the Video Star”, Public Gallery, Louisville, KY
2014 ”LVA Open Studio Weekend Exhibition”, Cressman Center, Louisville, KY
2014 ”Safe Place”, IDEAS 40203, Louisville, KY
2012 ”Urban Art Show”, Mellwood Art Center, Louisville, KY
2010 ”(in) case”, Revolution Art Studios, Syracuse, NY
Interviews, Press, Features, and Notable Mentions (Select)
2024 Featured Artist / Mini Exhibit at West Elm, Louisville, KY (August/September)
2023 ”The Ceramistist (The Creator)” painting voted “BEST IN SHOW” for the annual “Black & White” (Juried Show) group exhibit at KORE Gallery, Louisville, KY
2023 Featured Artist / Mini Exhibit at West Elm, Louisville, KY (June)
2023 Artwork Featured in “Printed: Edition Two“
2021 Personal Zine Featured in “Printed: Edition One“
2021 Painting “Kids Playing with Gun” featured in the 32nd edition of Ariel Magazine (a product of Bellarmine University’s literary society.)
2017 Interviewed for “How to Be An Artist” Podcast by Wendy Aracich, Episode #6
2017 “Q&A with Joshua Jenkins” by Keith Waits, Louisville Visual Art’s Artebella Blog
2017 Featured Artwork, “The Craft is Creating a Home’s Story”, Kentucky Homes & Gardens (Louisville), January Issue (pg. 47&49)
2016 Recipient of Great Meadows Artist Professional Development Grant
2016 Featured Artist, “Inspirational 12: The Human Dimension” by John Hopper (An online art zine based out of the UK)
2016 Nutritious AND Satisfying Art: From Then Till Now – Work by Joshua Jenkins. A review by Keith Waits (Editor for Arts-Louisville.com)
2015 Guest Interviewee, ArtFM: LVA’s Public Radio Show
2015 Featured article/spread, “Uncensored Expressionism”, Modern Louisville (print), Nov/Dec issue, Louisville, KY
2015 Guest Interviewee, ArtFM: LVA’s Public Radio Show
2014 Interviewed for “Conversations with Lori”, The Voice-Tribune (print), Louisville, KY
2013 Featured Artist in Canyon Voices Literary Magazine
Collections
The University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
Jenkins’ works are also in private collections throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Education
2010 Digital Media (BA), Studio Art (Minor), Marist College, Poughkeepsie, NY
Contact
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