Jessica McClam

"On the Edge: The Colorful World
of Jessica McClam"

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A film by Pierce Vaughn

Journey

Jessica McClam, born in 1957 in Basel, Switzerland. In 1966, her family relocated to California, USA, which marked the beginning of her international journey.

McClam pursued her undergraduate studies at Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art and German Studies between 1976 and 1980. Her passion for art then led her to Germany, where she continued her education at the Hochschule für bildende Künste (HFBK) in Hamburg. There, she studied under the guidance of renowned artists Werner Bunz and Bernd Koberling, graduating with a diploma in 1986.

Since completing her formal education, Jessica McClam has made Hamburg her home, working as a freelance painter.

Her paintings often feature vibrant flowers, crooked tables teetering on the edge with objects precariously balanced, and colorful, expressive portraits. McClam’s distinctive style captures a sense of instability and motion, using bold colors and playful compositions to explore themes of balance, chaos, and the beauty in everyday life.

Solo and group exhibitions

1981
solo exhibition at the Bank for International Settlements, Basel

1983
solo exhibition Galerie J. Schotland, Basel

1983
group exhibition with Mark Tobey, Sam Francis, Dieter Rot,
Bernhard Luginbühl, Galerie J. Schotland, Basel

1984
solo exhibition Amerikahaus, Hamburg

1986
group exhibition East Hampton for Contemporary Art, East Hampton, New York

1988
group exhibition Bank of France, Salle Ventadour, Paris

1991
solo exhibition Atelier Admiralitätsstraße, Hamburg

1995
solo exhibition Atelier Admiralitätsstraße, Hamburg

1998
solo exhibition Elbchaussee 8 gallery

2003
solo exhibition Heidrun Brauer Salon, Isestraße

2003
solo exhibition Molitoris gallery, Hamburg

2005
solo exhibition Molitoris gallery, Hamburg

2017
exhibition America center, Hafencity Hamburg

1999 – today
Deichpartie exhibition (every two years)

 

Jessica McClam

1957
born in Basel, Switzerland

1966
family resettles in California, USA

1976-1980
B.A. in Art and German studies, Mount Holyoke College,Massachusetts, USA

1980
begin Art studies at the HFBK in Hamburg, Germany with Werner Bunz und Bernd Koberling

1986
Diploma

since 1986
lives and works in Hamburg as a freelance painter