Jesse Schlesinger

Jesse Schlesinger is a multidisciplinary visual artist who explores sculpture, site-specific installation, drawing, and photography in his creative practice.

Biography of Jesse Schlesinger

Jesse Schlesinger was born in 1979 in Kentucky, USA. He studied at the California College of the Arts, receiving a BFA in Painting and Drawing in 2008. 

In 2012, the artist was a finalist for SFMOMA's SECA award. He received the JUSFC Fellowship through the NEA for artistic endeavors in Japan in 2018 and 2020. He is one of the founding artists of the Minnesota Street Project Artist Studio facility in San Francisco.

Schlesinger has participated in numerous residencies both domestically and internationally, including Think Green Produce in Tokyo (2013), 6018 North in Chicago (2012),  and Headlands Center for the Arts in Sausalito (2012).

The artist has showcased his work in galleries and museums across both the United States and Japan. His solo exhibitions include "blue" at Curator's Cube in Tokyo (2019), "Artist in Residence" at Highlight Gallery in San Francisco (2012), "while here" at Headlands Center for the Arts in Sausalito (2012), "Placemaking" at Museum of Craft & Design in San Francisco (2011), and "sunhouse" at General Store in San Francisco (2010).

Additionally, Schlesinger's works have been featured in numerous group shows held at various galleries and museums worldwide, including Zlot Buell in Sacramento, Round Weather Gallery in Oakland, Setagaya Museum in Tokyo, Berkeley Art Museum in Berkeley, POP Gallery in Culver City, Eleanor Harwood in San Francisco, among others.

Currently, the artist lives and works in San Francisco.

Jesse Schlesinger's Art Style

At the core of Schlesinger's artistic practice is a deep exploration of place: he examines how the natural environment, architectural settings, historical contexts, and personal engagement shape our experiences and understanding. Labor and craftsmanship play pivotal roles in his work, reflecting a profound reverence for materials and processes. Raised in a family of second-generation carpenters, where traditional craftsmanship was paramount and deeply connected to the rhythms of a small farm, these experiences have profoundly influenced the philosophical underpinnings of his artistic vision.

In his buildings and installations, the artist employs a handcrafted aesthetic. Using urban foraged materials, natural elements, and found objects, he crafts sculptural dwellings. These structures, whether private or public, delve into themes of space, inviting viewers to reconsider how we inhabit and contemplate our surroundings.

Jesse Schlesinger is currently in the process of completing a large-scale, permanent public artwork for the city of San Francisco. This project will incorporate materials such as bronze, concrete, wood, stone, and glass.