Jessica Maffia

Teaches at New York Botanical Garden

Jessica Maffia is a visual artist born and raised in New York City. Her work has been exhibited throughout the US and is currently in the Flat Files of Pierogi Gallery in downtown Manhattan. Maffia created the artwork for musician Childish Gambino's two singles "Summertime Magic" and "Feels Like Summer." Her solo exhibition at Denise Bibro Fine Art in Chelsea featured her large, photorealistic pencil drawings of urban cracks and residue producing unexpectedly beautiful surfaces. Maffia is the recipient of 10 artist residency fellowships and two grants from the Hells Kitchen Foundation. Her work is featured on the covers of Fabio Gironi's philosophy book "Naturalizing Badiou: Mathematical Ontology and Structural Realism" and poet Firas Sulaiman's latest book "As if My Name is a Mistaken Sign." The artist's installation Lanterns for Peace was exhibited in five sites throughout the US in response to the 2016 presidential elections. Maffia worked live on her current series of self-portraits at Spring Break Art Show in 2018. She looks forward to her upcoming residency at the Albee Foundation in Fall 2019.