Artist Bio
Jennifer Cueva is a 24-year-old Salvadoran artist based in Montgomery County, Maryland. Through her nature-inspired artworks, Jennifer captures the essence of open skies and natural landscapes, infusing them with self-expression and intentional meanings. Most of her work serves as a portal to a world of tranquility and self-expression, inviting viewers to immerse themselves in her imagery.
"Don't Wait for Closure" Acrylic on canvas, 2021, by Jennifer Cueva.
Born and raised in San Miguel, El Salvador until the age of 12, Jennifer developed a passion for singing and drawing, often performing at community events. By age 9, she was affectionately nicknamed "the singer" due to her frequent participation and 1st place victories in singing competitions and art contests. Visually, she was inspired by the calmness of her country's landscapes and the nature art her grandmother collected, with whom she spent every school vacation in La Unión, El Salvador.
Jennifer performing at a singing contest in her school and winning first place the following year. (El Salvador, 2008).
Fast-forward to 11th grade (2016) in Silver Spring, Maryland, Jennifer launched "Jenny The Artist Blog," inspired by her own and her peers' mental health struggles, and the lack of mental health awareness in society. She aimed to motivate others with her words, personal poems, faith, and nature photography. Later, she transitioned her blog into "Jenny The Artist Shop," combining her motivational messages with her artworks.
During her late teens and early 20s, Jennifer experienced significant life events that led to heartbreak, PTSD, anxiety, and depression, deeply affecting her mental health. She channeled her pain into poems and artworks. This period birthed powerful pieces like "Rage" (2021). Simultaneously, the artwork has spoken to her audience around the world who could relate to the emotions conveyed in her paintings. Her work has been compared with the works of Claude Monet, J.M.W. Turner, or Vincent Van Gogh.
"Rage" Oil on canvas (2021) by Jennifer Cueva.
In March 2020, Jennifer hosted her first solo exhibition, "Perceptions of The Beholder," in collaboration with the ACES Program at Montgomery College, Takoma Park campus, where she showcased her first artwork collection.
Community members viewing Cueva's first solo exhibition, March 2020, Montgomery College, MD.
Inspired by the positive response, she showcased her artwork online during the pandemic, reaching audiences who bought her work across 35+ states and overseas. Until she took a break of 2+ year break due to mental health struggles due to her life's events/circumstances at the time.
Fast-forward to 2024, Cueva's painting "I am Home Again" made in 2021, was showcased at the Glenstone Museum in the exhibition "Building a Caring Community Through Art," curated by Ariana Kaye & Yuri Stone, highlighting her commitment to using art as a tool of mental health/mindfulness awareness and uplifting the community, especially in hard times.
The sauce: Jennifer's artwork explores the beauty of landscapes, oceans, and light sources to evoke emotions such as peace, adversity, and resilience. As a mental health advocate, she weaves themes of well-being into her pieces, aiming to raise awareness and help end the stigma surrounding mental illness. Her work resonates with a wide audience, bridging cultural gaps, and promoting a message of self-worth and interconnectedness.
After a two-year sabbatical to refine her vision and purpose, Jennifer resumed selling her work online in July 2024, using art as a tool for hope, resilience, and exploring the complexity of the human experience. She hopes her audience feels inspired to celebrate their own voice and uniqueness. Jennifer plans to showcase her artwork in museums, exhibitions, and public spaces to bring positivity and unity to her community.
Learn more about Jennifer's work and journey in this blog post.
Artist Statement
Growing up in El Salvador, my environment limited my exposure to the arts due to society's emphasis on STEM and business education, but I found ways to express my creativity through singing at school events, drawing, and doing theater or musicals - because it is my natural calling.
My artwork explores the beauty of landscapes, oceans, and light sources to evoke emotions such as mindfulness, peace even through adversity, and hope/resilience. Through my art, I aim to create a cultural shift of embracing self-expression rather than shaming it, and to help end the stigma surrounding mental illness. Having grown up in a society that did not acknowledge mental health issues nor celebrated individualism, these topics are important to me, because lack of awareness affected social dynamics and lowered the general public's compassion for one another.
My painting "I am Home Again," featured in the Glenstone Museum's 2024 exhibition "Building a Caring Community Through Art," exemplifies this approach. It highlights the concept of personal sanctuaries where individuals can feel safe and be themselves. This piece is deeply personal, reflecting my own struggles with belonging, finding solace only in nature or with true friends.
My past experiences drive me to support others in expressing themselves, fostering a sense of creativity, community, and belonging. My message is for others to know they are not alone, and that their uniqueness is a gift to the world. I know I am successful in my calling is someone sees my work and feels understood, validated, or comforted.
"A Childhood Memory" (2021) - Artwork by Jennifer Cueva about blurry memories of the essence of the El Salvadoran environment she remembers.
To my audience - I love y'all!!! I hope you enjoy your visit.