Facing Gallery

Claire Jorgensen

This is the Space I Take Up

20162024
Variable dimensions
Acrylic on canvas installation

Claire Jorgensen | she/her | Victoria, BC

Claire Jorgensen is an artist and holds a BFA (hons.) from the University of Victoria. She was born and raised on the unceded, unsurrendered territory of the Lekwungen and sáneć nations. While primarily a painter, Jorgensen also utilizes installation and photography to explore her ideas. She was a recipient of the Jamie Cassels Undergraduate Research Award (JCURA) for 2023/24. In 2022 Jorgensen was commissioned by UVic’s Equity and Human Resources department to create a painting reflecting the opinions and feedback from numerous members of the UVic community regarding Equity and Diversity. Jorgensen’s work reflects both her self-image and psychological beliefs as demonstrated in her 2023 installation This Is The Space I Take Up. This project is a culmination of over 50 self-portraits representing Jorgensen’s defiant exclamation and acknowledgement of her existence and her placement in the world as a neurodiverse cisgendered white woman. For Jorgensen, a portrait artist, who came of age alongside social media, self-objectification has always been on the forefront of her mind. Her art allows her to explore, create and share her reflections.