Jen Hem is an Iowa artist who works primarily in India Ink, and is active in Mental Health Awareness Advocacy, Advocacy for the Awareness of Violent and Sexual crimes, poetry, and exploring other mediums through their art.

Jen exhibits some attributes of realism, pop art, minimalistic line art, and abstract expressionism. Their art is full of color and infused with vulnerable emotions, and psychological undertones that have developed through their experience growing up in poverty amidst a difficult family life. Jen often says “the quiet part out loud” in their art, as they bring awareness to topics including mental health, consent, sexual crimes, inequality, LBGTQ+ rights, and abuses often not openly discussed.

While they usually have an idea of what they want to paint, Jen says the ink “pulls the art out of me, I do not tell the brush what to paint. The permanence of India ink forces me to accept my mistakes as perfectly imperfect.”

Jen has been creating since their youth, using art as an escape and a means to cope with childhood hardships. Later, they attended Kansas City Art Institute summer programs, continuing their education at Iowa State University. After Jen’s professional career took an unexpected direction, in 2005 they returned their focus back to art for healing.

Jen has found inspiration through Yayoi Kusama’s journey and art, Kandinsky’s colors, and VanGogh’s honesty about mental health. In 2018 their painting “It Takes a Village” (to Heal a Trauma Survivor) was published on the cover of the international publication “American Psychologist”. Their work can be found at The Octagon, in Iowa, but they also have pieces scattered across the globe….and many other unexpected places…