Janne Reuss
Artist based in Toronto, Canada
ABOUT
Janne Reuss was born and raised in Mexico City and is currently based in Toronto, Canada. She has been a professional practicing artist for more than two decades, having lived, worked and exhibited her artwork in Mexico, United States, Germany, Italy and Canada — including six solo shows and numerous group exhibitions. She studied Fine Arts at the Academy of Art & Design in Stuttgart, Germany and History of Art in Mexico City. Her preferred media are photography and collage, but she also paints, often cycling fluidly between the three techniques. A constant theme in Janne’s work is her interest in human nature and how memories and experiences are imprinted deep inside of us. In 2020/2021 Janne participated in residencies at Akin X Collision Gallery and Akin Studio Program Auto BLDG at MOCA (Museum of Contemporary Art), the former culminating in her most important solo exhibition so far: Rewriting the Story, a series of over 20 overpainted photomontages. 2023 she successfully showed her work at the Artist Project, expanding her commission work and private collectors. This year she was re-invited to Artist Project 2025 and is currently preparing new work to exhibit at the fair. Janne’s work is held in private and public collections including the Donovan Art Collection at St. Michael’s College (Canada) and the Municipal Gallery of Ostfildern (Germany).
ARTIST STATEMENT
My handmade and/or digitally created photocollages reflect my ongoing interest in human nature and how memories and experiences are imprinted deep inside of us. With camera in hand I photograph my subjects through a painter’s eye, searching for colors, textures, and recurring subjects like trees, flowers, branches, windows and sky. Later in my studio I bring images or fragments of these together and create new layered compositions that bring me back to my past and at the same time offer a vision into the future. I explore the idea of a tree or plants that have been transplanted from its original habitat. What are the possibilities and the texture of this new life? Roots and branches become one and create imprints of my life experiences, memories and longings. I often juxtapose different materials - including paper versus acetate, monochrome versus colour, reflective versus opaque surface - to delve deeper into the different layers we build and grow our life upon. The colored acetates open a window to this idea evoking my desire for transformation, for openings and new possibilities.
Website: www.artjanne.com
Instagram: @jannereuss