Kathleen Jacobs (b. 1958) is an American artist celebrated for her innovative and meditative approach to abstraction, which intertwines elements of the natural world with late 20th-century minimalism. Her distinctive practice involves wrapping raw linen or canvas around tree trunks, leaving them outdoors for months or even years to absorb the textures and weathering of their environment. This process creates richly textured surfaces that capture the natural patterns and rhythms of bark, light, and weather. Once the canvases have matured, Jacobs reworks them in her studio, layering pigments and refining the marks introduced by nature. The resulting works are lyrical yet minimal compositions that evoke both the passage of time and a profound collaboration between artist and environment.
Jacobs’ work has been exhibited extensively in solo and group exhibitions across the United States, Europe, and Asia. Notable solo exhibitions include those at the Aspen Art Museum, Galerie Karsten Greve in Paris and St. Moritz, Fergus McCaffrey in Tokyo, and The Bonnier Gallery in Miami. Her pieces have also been featured in prominent group shows such as Ninth Street and Beyond: 70 Years of Women in Abstraction in New York. Drawing inspiration from her time studying calligraphy in China and her deep engagement with Taoist philosophy, Jacobs’ practice reflects a reverence for nature’s processes while exploring themes of materiality, ecology, and impermanence. Her work continues to garner critical acclaim for its poetic dialogue between human artistry and the natural world.