$5,200

Artwork Description

Born in 1984 to an African American father and Mexican mother, Jessica Vollrath grew up in a unique environment with 11 siblings, a Mennonite background, and a homeschool education. Her passion for painting began at the age of 8, experimenting with art supplies her mother found at garage sales. At 15, Vollrath met Dr. Marilyn Daniels, who recognized her untrained, natural talent and mentored her. Thanks to Dr. Daniels’ encouragement, Vollrath earned a BFA from Howard University in 2011 and an MFA from Texas Woman’s University in 2017. Primarily working in oil paint, Vollrath specializes in sacred narratives and figurative work. She began her career as a portrait artist, and her art reflects humanity’s search for connection to immortality through light, color, and the human figure. Vollrath is an adjunct professor of art at Eastfield College and lives in Dallas with her husband and two daughters. Her work is a personal journey of healing and self-exploration. She confronts painful dichotomies—from being a Black child raised in a white Mennonite community to navigating her mixed-race identity and the complexities of motherhood. Vollrath’s art embodies the tension of vanishing and emerging, capturing the ever-present desire for belonging and the deep connection she feels with everything around her. This is Vollrath’s second year presenting with Pencil on Paper Gallery.