Jennifer Packer

Jennifer Packer is an accomplished contemporary artist and Assistant Professor at The Cooper Union School of Art in New York City. Her work has been featured in major exhibitions including "The Eye Is Not Satisfied With Seeing" at the Serpentine Gallery in London (2020) and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York (2021-22), as well as "Every Shut Eye Ain't Sleep" at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (2021-22). Previously, she was the 2012-13 Artist-in-Residence at the Studio Museum in Harlem and a Visual Arts Fellow at the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown from 2014-2016.

Packer's artistic education culminated with her MFA from Yale School of Art. Her development as an artist was significantly influenced by her experiences studying Caravaggio's works in Rome, which she has cited as the moment she "became a painter." This early exposure to the emotional depth and human quality in Caravaggio's work continues to inform her approach to painting today.

Jennifer Packer creates intimate portraits, interior scenes, and still lifes characterized by loose brushstrokes and limited color palettes. Her work explores the complex intersections of Black representation, memory, trauma, and everyday life. Packer views her paintings as "the result of an authentic encounter and exchange," often depicting friends and family members in relaxed, seemingly unaware poses. She deliberately avoids straightforward readings of her subjects, creating enigmatic works that "suggest how dynamic and complex our lives and relationships really are." Her distinctive approach to color, particularly her frequent use of yellow tones, creates emotional atmospheres that convey the psychological states of her subjects.

Packer's recent articles and exhibitions reveal a consistent focus on the political dimensions of representation, particularly regarding Black lives in America. Her work often engages with contemporary social justice movements, as seen in paintings like "Say Her Name" (2017) dedicated to Sandra Bland and "Blessed Are Those Who Mourn (Breonna! Breonna!)" (2020) responding to the killing of Breonna Taylor. Critics consistently note her ability to balance figuration and abstraction, creating works that are both visually compelling and politically resonant. Her writing and interviews emphasize painting as "an exercise in tenderness" and highlight her commitment to representing her subjects with "shameless generosity and accuracy."

• 2019 Whitney Biennial participant
• 2021-22 "The Eye Is Not Satisfied With Seeing" at Whitney Museum
• 2021-22 "Every Shut Eye Ain't Sleep" at MOCA Los Angeles
• 2017-18 "Tenderheaded" at Renaissance Society and Rose Art Museum

As an educator at The Cooper Union, Packer brings her deep commitment to artistic practice and social engagement to her teaching. While specific details about her students are not provided, her approach to painting—emphasizing attentiveness, responsibility, and the political dimensions of representation—likely informs her pedagogical philosophy. Her work serves as a powerful model for emerging artists interested in the intersection of art and social justice.

Though Packer does not appear to lead a formal studio or research lab, her creative practice centers on her studio in the Bronx, New York, where she develops her distinctive approach to painting. Her work forms part of a vibrant artistic community that includes fellow artists like Jordan Casteel, Tschabalala Self, and Devan Shimoyama, many of whom have appeared as subjects in her paintings. This interconnected network of contemporary artists working to expand representations of Black life represents an important intellectual and creative ecosystem surrounding Packer's practice.