Sheffer Gallery
July 30 through September 27, 2026
Reception: Thursday, August 6, 6-8 pm, in the Trefz Forum; click here for more information.
(Reception kicks off at 6 pm, followed by a conversation between Steifel, photographer Chloe Ellison, painter Sain’t Phifer, and Miggs Burroughs at 7 pm.)
Through my paintings, I invite viewers to enter my world, to see life from my perspective and connect with my experiences. Each piece is a portal, allowing others to perceive the world through my eyes.
My work is deeply rooted in exploring intense emotional responses to life experiences. In this series, I particularly focus on themes of motherhood. I delve into the complexities of postpartum depression, anxiety, the wonder of new life, and the process of breaking free from generational traumas.
The process of painting—conceptualizing, planning, and bringing to life scenes from my imagination—acts as a cathartic journey. It empowers me to confront and articulate my emotions surrounding these themes. I often employ clean colors and a flat paint application to strip away the distractions of mental noise, enabling a clearer focus on the essence of my feelings. The vibrant, intense colors and whimsical abstraction create a balance, positioning my work within a realm of tragic comedy and infusing a sense of irony and lightness amid moments that could otherwise be steeped in despair. Through my art, I hope to create a dialogue about the raw, real experiences of life, including motherhood, encouraging others to reflect and find their own truths on the canvas.
Jodi Brown Steifel is a Connecticut-based artist, mother, and educator. She began studying art at Paier College of Art, later moving on to The New York Academy of Art in Tribeca. She currently teaches Visual Arts at Gateway Community College in New Haven, and paints in her home studio in the woods.
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For more about the Library's art exhibits, visit the Art at the Library page.
