Biography

James Hajicek is a native of Indiana who has lived and worked in Chicago for over 20 years. He studied painting, drawing, and sculpture at School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Columbia College Chicago, the American Academy of Art, and the School of Representation Art in Chicago, where
he focused on drawing and painting in the French Academic tradition. A devoted plein air painter, James has participated in regional competitions across the country, including Plein Air Easton and Paint Berlin in Maryland; Los Gatos Plein Air in California; and many plein air events in Illinois, indiana, and Wisconsin. He teaches figure drawing, portrait drawing, and anatomy at the Palette and Chisel Academy of Fine Arts in Chicago.

Artist’s Statement

For most of my life I have clutched a pencil or stick of charcoal firmly in my right hand. I find it easier to represent my thoughts visually rather that through words, and through drawings and paintings, The challenges are endless, the applications are limited only by imagination.

I use the figure to explore themes of human connection, communication, and abandonment.
I place my subjects in meditative environments that are at once familiar and comforting, yet can also feel lonely and nostalgic. My environments range from present day to historical times, reality and fantasy, each one presenting an opportunity to transport the viewer from the here and now to
other times and places.

Representation

Spectra Art Studio
spectrafineart@gmail.com