About the Artist
J Muzacz is a social practice mural painter, mosaicist, public artist, community arts advocate, and educator. Originally from Houston and a graduate of the University of Texas in Sociology, Muzacz went on to live and work abroad for the better half of a decade, painting numerous large-scale murals across the US and in countries as far-reaching as New Zealand, Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan. He is also co-founder of The Mosaic Workshop, an artist-run creative hub at Something Cool Studios where community members can learn the process of public art from concept to completion through collaborative and inclusive mosaic mural projects of monumental scale.
Artist Statement
I am interested in creating landmark installations that transform aspace, whether through painted murals, glass, lighting, textile, collage,mosaic art, or any combination of these. Working closely with designers and architects I aim to ensure the work fits the given spacein the best way possible, becoming an indispensable and timelesselement to the landscape, engaging in both day and night.Much of my artistic career and aesthetic to this point have evolvednaturally out of travel, collaboration with foreign artists and diversecommunities, a social practice involving educational initiatives andteaching, while constantly propelled by my own curiosity about thepossibilities inherent in new and innovative digital design processespaired with repurposed materials and time-honored techniques.Increasingly, I aim to use my platform as a public artist to elevatethemes and important dialogues such as environmental and socialjustice and cultural equity, emblazoning in new monumental works therelentless and inspiring figures and narratives that need to be heardand remembered in our diverse and ever-changing world if we are tomove toward a more just, fair, and honest society.In my studio work, I aim to conjure the same energy of spontaneitypresent in the street, complete with textures, layers, and complexmodes of communication, adapting my painted or graphic design collages for printmaking, mosaic, neon lighting, and sculpture.The permanence of mosaic, as well as the surprising material nuanceand accents available via textures, transparency, and sheens offers unmatched depth and detail. Mosaic can also be an incredibly inclusive and accessible process and a metaphor for society in its entirety.