In a world with so many different religions and belief systems, Abbotsford painter and sculptor Jesse Klassen aims to open conversation with his art. The Cascade sat down with the artist to discuss not only his art, but the upbringing that led to finding his artistic niche and voice, and how his experience as a UFV student influenced his creative practices.
Klassen discovered his interest in researching different religions while growing up in a Christian belief system that he didn’t agree with at first. In doing so, he questioned the dynamic of understanding religion as a whole.
“Historically speaking, cultures have always been axiomatic. Countries have always been axiomatic … they’re quite pluralistic. They don’t necessarily have that one core … and so I look at the world [and] our society here and I wonder: how does a person in any kind of identity –– whether they’re 60 years old and just looking for their idea of truth, or a teenager growing up in our society — navigate our culture and come to some understanding of what their belief is with any kind of grace?”
He was fascinated by the number of religions the world offered, but he learned that the act of identifying with one was a challenge for him and others, so his art became an outlet to do that.
“It’s a proverbial minefield of potential, conflict, beauty, and wonder … to give people this idea [to] go and discover what you believe — [it’s] such a beautiful thing. It’s also this incredibly hard thing that we put people into, and so my work is really about exploring those kinds of questions, that context.”
Where Do I Know You From? is his series being showcased in Open Space Downtown Abbotsford, which is a collection that formed accidentally.
“This series of work I call my sketchbook series, because it all started off as just sketches in my sketchbook. I’d work on a project in my studio, and I’d be painting something or sculpting something, and then I would sit back and just sketch for a little bit … or I would take all the leftover paint and just play with it and it eventually became a consistent body of work.”
Klassen also commented on the purpose behind his work, saying it “isn’t to tell you something … [it] is to open the door to dialogue, to create potential learning.”
His process of creating art isn’t super structured –– in fact, it usually starts with a small, tangible object or thought.
“I start with a somewhat abstract goal, like a point of inspiration, a material that I really like, or colour that I really like. Just something really basic that grounds the work … I would say my process is a mixture of intentional and intuitive.”
Klassen’s experience as a UFV student has influenced his artistic development and perspective, especially something a professor told him that has always stuck with him.
“He said … university is a place for learning. It’s a place for challenging things [and] asking questions. It’s not a place where we should be trying to be comfortable. So when you’re learning about something, you should be willing to challenge your assumptions. If you want to walk into a classroom and display a perspective that’s completely ignorant and arguably just fundamentally wrong, you’re more than welcome to but you have to be open to the potential of somebody counteracting them.”
He explained that he operated in this space with respect, understanding that society has natural tension and opposition when it comes to religious views. Klassen’s goals in his practice will always be to create art humbly and continue to grow in skill and knowledge.
“I think as soon as an artist becomes complacent with what they’re making, that’s when their work becomes bad … the concept of learning, in my case about religion and spirituality, is something that I hope will continue for the rest of my career [and the] rest of my life.”
Veronica is a Staff Writer at The Cascade. She loves to travel and explore new places, no matter how big or small. She is in her second year at UFV, pursuing the study of Creative
Writing.