For Immediate Release

Faces of Death: Reflections on Mortality – A New Series of Oil Paintings by Jason Meadows

February 15th to March 22nd

Artist talk: Saturday February 22nd at 2 pm

Renowned artist, Jason Meadows, will debut a powerful new series of oil paintings that engage with skulls, decay, and evocative forms tied to meditations on mortality. The surfaces of these paintings embody a physicality and density that bridges the artist’s sculptural background with his approach to painting.

“My goal is to create images that hover at the picture plane. I like the density one can employ with oil paint—the energy of imagery held in place with layers of intention and pigment densities.”

Each image reveals the tension between the sacred and the profane. With its references to the cult film Faces of Death, the work straddles multiple narratives—melding personal reflection with broader cultural commentary.

Working in the studio of his recently deceased father, a celebrated photographer, Meadows confronts the inevitability of mortality head-on. The haunting imagery in these works reflects the profound sense of loss that accompanies the passing of a loved one. Meadows’ own disability further compounds the melancholy, offering a poignant juxtaposition of physical limitation and artistic resilience.

“Faces of Death” invites viewers into a contemplative space. Fleeting moments of existence are illuminated with both somber reflection and a desire to remain optimistic, emphasizing the importance of cherishing life even as we come to terms with its inevitable end.

About the Artist 
Born in 1972 in Indianapolis, Jason Meadows received a BFA from the School of the Arts Institute of Chicago in 1994 and an MFA from the University of California in Los Angles in 1998. His sculptures have been exhibited at institutions worldwide, including the Tate Modern, UCLA Hammer Museum in Los Angeles, Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art in Oslo, de Appel arts centre in Amsterdam, and the CCA Wattis Institute in San Francisco, among others. His work was also featured in the group exhibition, Alexander Calder and Contemporary Art: Form, Balance, Joy, which traveled from the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago to the Nasher Sculpture Center, Dallas, TX, followed by the Orange County Museum of Art, Newport Beach, CA and Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, Durham, NC from 2010-12.