About The Rat Selfie Project
We are proud to present The Rat Selfie Project by Jennifer WinterRose for our April Director's Gallery exhibition. This exhibition will feature painted 2D self-portraits of Jennifer and her pet rats over the years, as they encompass times of happiness and health, and times of struggle and sadness.
Speaking on her exhibition, WinterRose states, "This series is one that I’ve been fighting to bring forth for a few years now. One of my long time loves has been the care and keeping of pet rats, and they have been with me throughout my journey. As my health has struggled, I have also had to manage the health struggles of these small creatures whose lives are short and often marred by cancer and disease. I have taken many pictures of myself and my husband with my rats, and these pictures encompass times of happiness and health, and times of struggle and sadness. So I’ve taken these selfies in my camera roll and changed them to paint on paper.
I tried to boil them down to their base emotions, replacing backgrounds with patterns and focusing on my face and the rats with me. Some have brought me joy, and many have brought me pain, but all of them celebrate the ties that bind me to myself and these small creatures that I love so dearly. They are a memorial for these rats that are pictured, as all have passed during the struggle I’ve had to finish this series. I don’t think it’s even finished, and probably never will be; but to be honest that is all I can wish for in my life: an unending tapestry of creativity and companionship."
- Jennifer WinterRose
Speaking on her exhibition, WinterRose states, "This series is one that I’ve been fighting to bring forth for a few years now. One of my long time loves has been the care and keeping of pet rats, and they have been with me throughout my journey. As my health has struggled, I have also had to manage the health struggles of these small creatures whose lives are short and often marred by cancer and disease. I have taken many pictures of myself and my husband with my rats, and these pictures encompass times of happiness and health, and times of struggle and sadness. So I’ve taken these selfies in my camera roll and changed them to paint on paper.
I tried to boil them down to their base emotions, replacing backgrounds with patterns and focusing on my face and the rats with me. Some have brought me joy, and many have brought me pain, but all of them celebrate the ties that bind me to myself and these small creatures that I love so dearly. They are a memorial for these rats that are pictured, as all have passed during the struggle I’ve had to finish this series. I don’t think it’s even finished, and probably never will be; but to be honest that is all I can wish for in my life: an unending tapestry of creativity and companionship."
- Jennifer WinterRose
About the Artist - Jennifer WinterRose
Jennifer WinterRose is an illustrator and fine artist living in the weeds and wilds of Kinston, North Carolina. She went to Atlanta College of Art (way back when it still existed!) She was awarded one of the Artists Grants for 2024 from the Craven Arts Council and Gallery.
She spends most of her time with her husband and her cats and frogs and many, many pet rats. She paints, sews, and bakes. While much of her work was focused on pen and ink and marker, she has found a deep love of watercolor and gouache in the past 5 years, and most of her focus is on painting both representative and fantastical subjects. More and more of her work features her favorite creatures, focusing primarily on rats. She hopes her advocacy of these small creatures will help people see some of what she sees in them.
She spends most of her time with her husband and her cats and frogs and many, many pet rats. She paints, sews, and bakes. While much of her work was focused on pen and ink and marker, she has found a deep love of watercolor and gouache in the past 5 years, and most of her focus is on painting both representative and fantastical subjects. More and more of her work features her favorite creatures, focusing primarily on rats. She hopes her advocacy of these small creatures will help people see some of what she sees in them.
