Jessie Rose Vala

Artist Jessie Rose Vala, based in Portland, Oregon, has a way of mixing utterly beautiful graphite detail with dark, often mythological narratives. I first saw her work at Motel Gallery for the exhibition: The Tortuous Veil. In it, Vala explores the archetypes of the vampire, werewolf, zombie and shape-shifter, using them as metaphors for our own over consumption, complacency, mob mentality and environmental degradation. Other works of Vala include explorations of inner struggle despite the security and comfort we create for ourselves in something as mundane as our living room (Future Remnants of Dreamvilles), as well as scenes that mix modern female figures with ancient myths and tropes. (more after the jump)