Jaya King is an interdisciplinary artist and California native based out of Sacramento who has been showing, teaching, and demonstrating her work since 2003. Her dynamic paintings marry the balance of technique while pushing the boundaries of texture and color. Her favorite mediums to work with are acrylic and encaustic (painting with pigmented hot wax.) Her love affair with painting extends far beyond the gallery wall and onto massive exterior walls with her mural practice.
Pre-pandemic, Jaya’s popular painting workshops gave her students the opportunity to grow as artists and express their individuality. During the Covid shutdown of 2020 Jaya pivoted her classroom online and now her teaching and inspiration continues with the launch of her e-course, Color Mix Masterclass. Jaya continues to lecture on technique, personal growth and exploration through painting. Currently, Jaya is finalizing her e-book on color harmony, working on a new series of large-scale portraits, and preparing for Sacramento Opens Studios, 2022. Her current mural project is with Wellspring Women’s Center in Oak Park, Sacramento.
Jaya recently received the Gloria Burt Sacramento Region Arts Fellowship Award and looks forward to leading a youth mural project in 2023. She was selected as a lead artist for the City of Sacramento’s Community Murals Sacramento pilot program in 2021 – 2022, completing a 1,400 square foot mural in Hollywood Park. She has participated in Wide Open Walls mural festival and has been featured in Sacramento’s Inside Publications magazine. Her work has been published in Splash 11: New Directions, Incite 3: The Best of Mixed Media, and in Art Journey Animals: A Collection of Inspiring Contemporary Masterworks. In 2016 Jaya developed an encaustic scholarship program, which gave high school students the opportunity to explore this amazing medium. At age 24 she was invited to do a solo show at Stanford University. Jaya’s artwork is currently being shown in the Robert T. Matsui Gallery in Sacramento City Hall. Her artwork is in the permanent collections at the Triton Museum of Art in Santa Clara, CA and the Museum of Encaustic Art in Santa Fe, NM.
Follow Jaya’s Blog “The Fearless Painter”
2022 CV
PERMANENT COLLECTIONS & FELLOWSHIPS
- Gloria Burt Sacramento Region Arts Fellowship, Fellow
- Triton Museum of Art, Santa Clara, CA
- Museum of Encaustic Art, Santa Fe, NM
PRESS & PUBLICATIONS
- Sacramento Public Art Archive – Interview Dec 2020
- Good Day Sacramento – Interview March 2018
- ABC 10 – Interview Dec 2017
- Encaustic Arts Magazine – Dec 2017
- Sacramento Magazine – Nov 2017
- Girls on the Grid – Sept 2017
- Art Journey Animals – Inspiring Masterworks – North Light Books, edited by Jamie Markle 2016
- Incite 3 – The Art of Storytelling – North Light Books, edited by Tonia Jenny 2015
- Splash 11 – New Directions: The Best of Watercolor – North Light Books, edited by Rachel Rubin Wolf May 2010
- Inside Publications – (cover) February 2016 / (artist spotlight) June 2016
- Art Week – Vol. 38, #2 Mar 2007
- Art in America – Feb 2007
- Juxtapoz Magazine – #54 Jan/Feb 2005
TEACHING & SPEAKING
- Acrylic, Encaustic: University Art Center (2012 – 2020)
- Acrylic: Triton Museum of Art (2011 – 2015), Crocker Art Museum (2016 – 2020)
- Encaustic: Wax Works West (2015-2017)
- Watercolor: Santa Clara Valley Watercolor Society (2012 – 2017)
- Lectures: Rocklin Fine Arts, East Valley Artists, Los Gatos Art Association, Campbell Artist Guild, Cambrian Art Guild, The Villages, Fine Arts League of Cupertino, Los Altos Art Club, Valle del Sur, Santa Clara Valley Watercolor Society, Sunnyvale Art Club, Olive Hyde Art Guild, Sierra Wax Society, Thriving Women in Business
EDUCATION & MEMBERSHIPS
- Academy of Art College, San Francisco, CA
- R&F Paints Certified Encaustic Instructor
- GOLDEN Paints GOLDEN Artist Educator
- American Women Artists – Associate Member with Distinction
PUBLIC ART
- 2022 | Wellspring Mural “See Me. I Am Love”
- 2022 | CADA Mural “Goldfinch”
- 2022 | Table Farm Community Mural “Rooted, Growing, Reaching”
- 2021 | Community Murals Sacramento “Hollywood Habitat”
- 2020 | CADA Box Wrap Revival “SuperStarr”
- 2018 | Wide Open Walls Mural Festival “Guild Goddess”
- 2015 | Campbell Art Box “Campbell Pups”
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2021 | SKYSCAPES
Sparrow Gallery, Sacramento, CA | Curator: Cynthia Lou
2020 | SKYLINE
Sparrow Gallery, Sacramento, CA | Curator: Cynthia Lou
2018 | WILDFIRE
Sparrow Gallery, Sacramento, CA | Curator: Cynthia Lou
2018 | HEARTIFACTS
Micro Art Gallery, Sacramento, CA | Curator: Robert Jean-Ray
2017 | UPSTREAM
Watts Winery, Lodi, CA
2017 | EMERGENCE
Board of Supervisors Chambers, Sacramento, CA | Curator: Lorrie Kempf
2017 | BLACK AND WHITE
University Art Center, Sacramento, CA
2012 | UNBRIDLED AND UNDAUNTED
Nieto Fine Art, San Francisco, CA | Curator: Anaya Nieto
2005 | PASSING: HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT
Stanford University, Stanford, CA | Curator: Vera Grant
GROUP EXHIBITIONS & RECOGNITION
2022
SURFACE – Invitational
Sacramento City Hall, Sacramento, CA | Curator: Lorrie Kempf
STATEWIDE PAINTING COMPETITION
Triton Museum of Art, Santa Clara, CA | Curator: George Rivera
CROCKER ART AUCTION
Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, CA | Curator: Crocker curatorial team
SPRING ONLINE JURIED SHOW
American Women Artists, Virtual | Curator: Sarah B. Cunningham, Gabriela Gamez, Kim Garner
2021
HOLIDAY – Invitational
Secession Art & Design, San Francisco, CA | Curator: Eden Stein
LIFTING THE SKY
American Women Artists, Virtual | Curator: Emily Larsen, Monika Meler, Mary Williams
MOVEMENT, MASTERY, MEDIUM
Gallery at 48 Natoma, Folsom, CA | Curator: Cherie Hacker
2019 – 2020
ABSTRACTION – Invitational
Sparrow Gallery, Sacramento, CA | Curator: Robert Jean-Ray
HEAT – Invitational
Sparrow Gallery, Sacramento, CA | Curator: Cynthia Lou
2017 – 2018
CROCKER ART AUCTION
Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, CA | Curator: Crocker curatorial team
SURFACE – Invitational
Sacramento City Hall, Sacramento, CA | Curator: Lorrie Kempf
JAYA KING & FRANK BROOKS
Beatnik Studios, Sacramento, CA | Curator: Nisa Hayden
HEAT: FORCE OF NATURE
JAYA KING & SHANNON AMIDON
Sparrow Art Gallery, Sacramento, CA | Curator: Nisa Hayden
IN RESPONSE: POETS & ARTISTS IN DIALOGUE – Invitational
SMUD Gallery, Sacramento, CA | Curator: Lorrie Kempf
2015 – 2016
COMMON THREADS: LAYERS – Invitational
SMUD Gallery, Sacramento, CA | Curator: Robert-Jean Ray
THE CROW SHOW
Atelier 20, Sacramento, CA | Curator: Kristy Hughes
50 & Looking Forward – Invitational
Triton Museum of Art, Santa Clara, CA | Jurors: Preston Metcalf, Maria Ester Fernandez, Stephanie Learmonth
SPRING IS IN THE AIR – Third Place
Pacific Art League, Palo Alto, CA | Juror: Catharine Clark
NATURAL EXTRACTION
Works Gallery, San Jose, CA | Jurors: Cynthia Cao, Annelise Hartley
2004 – 2014
STATEWIDE PAINTING COMPETITION – Honorable Mention (The Chicken that Saved the Day)
Triton Museum of Art, Santa Clara, CA | Jurors: Preston Metcalf, Maria Ester Fernandez, Stephanie Learmonth
UNIVERSITY ART EMPLOYEE ART SHOW – Best of Show (Out of Tune), Honorable Mention (Absinthe)
University Art Center, Palo Alto, CA | Juror: Steve Curl
FUR, FEATHERS AND FINS
Pacific Art League, Palo Alto, CA | Juror: Michael Azgour
MIDSUMMER ART CELEBRATION – Invitational
Triton Museum of Art, Santa Clara, CA
FIGURES & FACES
Pacific Art League, Palo Alto, CA | Juror: JoAnne Northrup
CIMMERIAN MUSE: Exploring the Gestures of the Mind
Nieto Fine Art, San Francisco, CA | Curator: Anaya Nieto
LOS GATOS ART ASSOCIATION ANNUAL OPEN JURIED SHOW – Honorable Mention (Memphis Shadows)
Art Museum of Los Gatos, Los Gatos, CA | Jurors: David Ogle, Dale Laitinen, Kenney Mencher, Randall Sexton
APW GALLERY POSTCARD SHOW
APW Gallery, Long Island, NY
SUBMISSION: Juxtapoz Group Show
OnSix Gallery, San Francisco, CA | Curators: Juxtapoz Magazine editorial team
LABYRINTH
OnSix Gallery, San Francisco, CA | Curators: Sham Saenz, Chris Fitzpatrick
FAVORITES SHOW – Invitational
The Outer Edge, Monterey, CA | Curators: Andrew & Sunshine Jackson
ART FEST – Award of Merit (Rosie), Award of Merit (Murder in the Red Barn), Award of Merit (Man With Stand-Up Bass)
Triton Museum of Art, Santa Clara, CA | Juror: Dale Laitinen
BLUES BASH – Invitational
Triton Museum of Art, Santa Clara, CA
THE ABSENCE OF PRESENCE
Red Ink Studios, San Francisco, CA | Curator: Linda Hughes-Bakke
WATERCOLOR: A BAY AREA FOCUS – Invitational
Triton Museum of Art, Santa Clara, CA | Curator: Preston Metcalf
LOS GATOS ART ASSOCIATION ANNUAL OPEN JURIED SHOW – Honorable Mention (Speak Easy)
Art Museum of Los Gatos, Los Gatos, CA | Juror: George Rivera