Born and raised in Texas and recently relocated to Baltimore, Maryland, MartyrMedusa is a multidisciplinary artist and writer who often finds it hard to describe her work. With imagery inspired by religious and paganistic themes, her work is surreal and, at times, an oddity. Through her artwork, MartyrMedusa strives to investigate the self, both how it is driven by intuition and hereditary, primal knowledge and how it shapes the natural world around it. Influenced by folklore, mythology, and a religious upbringing, she prefers using natural imagery in her pieces with bones, insects, and anatomical subjects making frequent appearances. Her artwork is often highly symbolic, representing her own struggles as well as the struggles of the world around her. MartyrMedusa hopes that those who view her work will see and appreciate the symbols and narratives she constructs while at the same time bringing in their own belief systems and experiences with which they can find new, unique meaning in the work.
Why Medusa?
I've always been somewhat captivated with the myth of Medusa - which is so rarely told from her point of view. A survivor of assault who receives (whether by blessing or curse) the power to protect herself against further cruelty only to then be hunted by the heroes of greek mythology, she was always more of a sympathetic character to me than she was a villain. She also embodies many of the elements I so often want to include in my life and my work; female empowerment and strength, primal instinct, healing and growth, as well as a sort of natural, animalistic imagery. The image of her as a Martyr developed and cemented itself in my mind just as I was rediscovering who I am as an artist, woman, and human being, inspiring one of the first pieces of my personal renaissance. Because of this, it seemed a fitting moniker to adopt as I rebuilt my artist reputation and portfolio - a constant reminder of the kind of person I strive to be and the strength I continue to grow.
But for those who would really like to know, my name is Jessa