Jessica Laub is a visual artist who works in a variety of media and is currently focused in ceramics, mosaics and painting. Her artistic style, characterized by a bold use of color and a strong sense of line, celebrates the beauty and wonder she encounters in the world around her. Jessica uses clay to create sgraffito-style dishware, sculptural forms, and handmade tile that she pairs with other tesserae in her mosaic work.
Jessica creates both smaller-scale interior mosaics as well as larger works intended for installation in yards and gardens. She enjoys making site-specific mosaic installations in both two and three dimensions. Jessica’s studio is located at the Toy Factory iin Riverwest. Jessica leads community art projects and is a frequent collaborator with Artists Working in Education. She has worked with community groups to create mosaiced sculptures and murals for schools, parks, gardens and community centers throughout the city.
Mediums: Mixed-media mosaics, ceramics, painting
Favorite Artist Tool: Paintbrush
Go-to Local Inspiration: My garden, the Milwaukee River, Lake Michigan, my friends’ studios, Milwaukee Art Museum, Gallery Nights
Mentee Compliment: Renieka is so open to what life has to offer her and also in sharing her own experiences. She has a pure heart. She feels things deeply and strives to make the world a better place. She is a very keen observer. Art is her solace and the way she processes her emotional reactions to the world. Art is her joy – creating, sharing, viewing, teaching – all of it. Experiencing art in all its facets is life’s gift to her, and her art is a gift to life.
Fun Fact: I have had my art studio at The Toy Factory in Riverwest since 2013.
Serious Fact: It pains me to break up dishes to use in my mosaics because I also create dishware (cups and bowls), and I know how much intention and effort goes into making them.
Artist Statement
I work in a variety of media to create mosaics, ceramics, and paintings. My artistic style is characterized by a bold use of color and a strong sense of line, and celebrates the beauty I encounter in the world around me. My work is influenced by my deep appreciation of nature and the magic I experience outdoors. Common themes include plants, animals, mermaids, and celestial bodies. I use clay to create sculptural forms and dishware, as well as to make handmade tile that I pair with stained glass, broken dishes, mirrors, and other shiny tesserae in my mosaic work. I create small-scale interior mosaics, as well as larger mosaics and sculptures intended for yards and gardens. I make art for the pleasure and satisfaction I experience in doing so, and my hope is that it brings some measure of joy and healing to those who view it.