"Studying the ancient mosaics in Ravenna has inspired a decade of work and production in my studio."
Quilts—soft mosaics —were part of the multigenerational project Martha Jackson-Jarvis conducted after returning from her residency in Italy. Sharing art with young and old alike, Jackson-Jarvis used her training in Italy to broaden the cultural expressions of those in her home community. Her time in Europe was a central source of personal and professional growth, giving her "a world view and resources to elevate my life's work."
Since her experiences in Italy, Jackson-Jarvis has received numerous other fellowships and has exhibited her art widely, including solo exhibitions at the Corcoran Gallery of Art and Addison-Ripley Fine Arts in Washington D.C., and at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania. Her dense ceramic constructions, which often explore her African-American heritage, are true mosaics, incorporating plant and animal forms and including fragmented possessions of family and friends. Among her more recent projects is a mosaic and ceramic sculpture for the three-story atrium of a courthouse in Maryland. She is currently working on a 400-foot mosaic glass mural for the Metropolitan transit system's Anacostia Station in Washington, D.C.
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