Born in New York City - 1953
Attended the Art Students League -1970-1974
Selected Exhibitions (*solo exhibits)
Canton Art Institute,Ohio1985*; Roslyn Sailor Gallery, Philadelphia, 1989; The Emerging Collector Gallery, New York, 1990, 1991, 1992; The Queen's Hall, Edinburgh, 1993*; The Royal Incorp.of Architects. Scot., Edinburgh, 1993*; The Chamber's Institute, Peebles 1994*; Maclaurin Art Gallery, Ayr, 1995*; St Mary's, Bryanston Sq., London 1996*; The Bookcase, Carlisle, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001* Carrie Haddad Gallery, Hudson, New York, 2000, St. Giles, Oxford, 2002, Festival of Spirituality, St. John's, Edinburgh 2004, The Royal Incorp.of Architects. Scot., Edinburgh, 2005*, St. Peter's, Peebles "Angel Procession -Mural", 2007
Selected Reveiws
The List, "Urban Allegories" Feb. 2003; London Link, "Jessing's Powerful Parables" Nov. 1996; Cumberland News, "Biblical Inspiration" 20 June 1997; Scotland on Sunday (My Home) "Write Stuff" 6 Nov 2005
Selected Workshops and Talks
Chamber's Institute, Peebles," Symbolism in Art" July 1994; Culloden Academy, Inverness, "Creating Art from the Imagination" Jan 1996; Holyrood Art Society, Edinburgh, "The Art of Portraiture" Feb 2001; Tullie House, Carlisle "Icon Workshop" Jun 2007
Brief Biography
Brought up in the Hungarian section of Yorkville in Manhattan, Michael Jessing, received a broad view of culture and personalities.His parents, Rahna, Robert and Louis were all supportive of his creative abilities, they themselves were writers.
After attending the Art Students League in New York (studied under Anthony Palumbo, and Robert Brackman) met a number of people in the New York art scene among whom were the writer and artist Ethel Schwabacker (biographer of Arshile Gorky), and Richard Sloat (configurative urban prints). Michael Jessing embarked on spiritual allegories which were influenced by personal experience in New York.
The artist moved to Scotland where he has had a number of exhibitions of his illustration to the Book of Psalms and Urban Allegories. Currently the artist is working on urban prophecies and eclectic icons.
Statements by the artist
"The psalms are sensual expressions of the soul towards God."
"Images of despair contain seeds of joy."
"Myths project the mundane onto the cosmic ."
"The world is a crucible for spiritual transformation."
"Imagination uses symbols to enter sacred spaces."
"Why say anything, just create."
(2007)