Artist statement

These photographs are of worlds built with my own hands. The concept of how space affects internal life is central to my process. Fabricated spaces or events have a theatricality that thrills me. This work connects us, reminds us we are never alone in the intensity of our emotions.

When I am doing a self portrait I follow my instincts, ending up messy and exhausted. But that is where the transformation happens - I am different than I was when I started. Then the image must be shared. The audience is important - once I am witnessed, the transformation is solidified.

I grew up in a fundamentalist Christian cult and was kept separate from the world. The camera became a way to embrace that separation. Through the lens I was able to begin reintegrating myself in the world.

I put a piece of myself into these photos for others to see. If we can’t see ourselves reflected back in the world around us, how can we figure out who we are?

Creating these works puts me in new pockets of my mind, connecting me to who I am without the heavy influence of my past. I am mapping the darkness of my psyche, illuminating areas and eliminating fear.

The cult kept me in a vacuum and without human interaction all I had was the space around me - I played pretend a lot as a child. Now I build my own spaces, ones that reflect my inner state and make me feel safe.

Photographic portrait of the artist (white, female in appearance, with dark hair and eyes) with bared shoulders and head tipped up and to one side, face pained or plaintive, in vivid green grass to the clavicle under a clouded navy blue sky.. — The Garden of Eden is Hot

Photographic portrait of the artist in a colour blocked jump suit standing, feet planted wide and arms out at shoulder height, pigtails swinging, in front of a wall of red lights. — The Devil Walked Here

Photographic portrait of the artist embedded in clouds. Cipriano appears bent at the knee and hips as if half seated or falling, a bear in her right hand and, beneath the far armpit, a bright source of light. — The Rapture

A photographic portrait of the artist from the waist up laying with her head resting on a pile of sand on an astroturf floor. Cipriano's face painted with more than a dozen construction related images (saw, cone, toolbox, etc) — Work in Progress

Photographic portrait of the artist naked and hugging her knees in dark blue surroundings dotted with yellow green light. The photograph is taken from a distance above. — Seen

Photographic portrait of the artist in a ruffled white blouse, face painted blue and with her cheeks puffed out. On the table where she sits is a paper fortune teller. — Lucky Day

Photographic portrait of the artist buried in stuffed animals with only her pained face peeking out. — You Get to Make the Choice

Photographic portrait of the artist standing in a cardboard box in her underwear. The ground around the box is piled in packing styrofoam and more of it floats in the air like confetti between the camera and her. — I Will Put You in a Box So You'll Never Grow Up

Photographic portrait of the artist in a dress, holding a sword in one hand, with the other raised. The image is lit entirely in red. — Power Prayer

Photographic portrait of the artist standing backed into a corner on top of a house roof. Cipriano wears an acid green dress and stands below a projection of orange shapes and swirls. — Last One to Leave the Party

Jaina Cipriano is an experiential designer, filmmaker and photographer exploring the emotional toll of religious and romantic entrapment. Her worlds communicate with our neglected inner child and are informed by explosive colors, elements of elevated play and the push/pull of light and dark.

Jaina writes and directs award winning short films that wrestle with the complicated path of healing. Her second short film, ‘Trauma Bond’ is a dreamy, coming of age thriller that explores healing deep wounds with quick fixes, it took home the grand prize at the Lonely Seal International Film Festival.

Jaina’s photographic works forgoes digital manipulation, everything is created for the camera. She takes an immersive approach to working with models, approaching a shoot like a documentary photographer as her subject is let loose in a strange designed space. Working with Jaina is often described as cathartic and playful. Her photographic work has been shown internationally.

Jaina is the executive director of the Arlington International Film Festival and the founder of Finding Bright Studios - an experiential design company in Lowell, MA. She has collaborated with GRRL HAUS, Boston Art Review, and was a Boston Fellow for the Mass Art Creative Business Incubator and a finalist in EforAll Merrimack Valley.

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Description of the images above:

The Garden of Eden is Hot

Photographic portrait of the artist (white, female in appearance, with dark hair and eyes) with bared shoulders and head tipped up and to one side, face pained or plaintive, in vivid green grass to the clavicle under a clouded navy blue sky.

The Devil Walked Here

Photographic portrait of the artist in a colour blocked jump suit standing, feet planted wide and arms out at shoulder height, pigtails swinging, in front of a wall of red lights.

The Rapture

Photographic portrait of the artist embedded in clouds. Cipriano appears bent at the knee and hips as if half seated or falling, a bear in her right hand and, beneath the far armpit, a bright source of light.

Work in Progress

Photographic portrait of the artist from the waist up laying with her head resting on a pile of sand on an astroturf floor. Cipriano's face painted with more than a dozen construction related images (saw, cone, toolbox, etc)

Seen

Photographic portrait of the artist naked and hugging her knees in dark blue surroundings dotted with yellow green light. The photograph is taken from a distance above.

Lucky Day

Photographic portrait of the artist in a ruffled white blouse, face painted blue and with her cheeks puffed out. On the table where she sits is a paper fortune teller.

You Get to Make the Choice

Photographic portrait of the artist buried in stuffed animals with only her pained face peeking out.

I Will Put You in a Box So You’ll Never Grow Up

Photographic portrait of the artist standing in a cardboard box in her underwear. The ground around the box is piled in packing styrofoam and more of it floats in the air like confetti between the camera and her.

Power Prayer

Photographic portrait of the artist in a dress, holding a sword in one hand, with the other raised. The image is lit entirely in red.

Last One to Leave the Party

Photographic portrait of the artist standing backed into a corner on top of a house roof. Cipriano wears an acid green dress and stands below a projection of orange shapes and swirls.

Jaina Cipriano