BIOGRAPHY
Jackson Wrede is a contemporary realist painter whose portfolio spans portraiture, still life, landscape, narrative painting, and occasional forays into pop culture and abstraction. Grounded in classical technique but guided by a modern sensibility, his paintings reframe the conventions of art history for a 21st-century audience. Wrede’s background drawing cartoons and caricatures as a child—and later, creating pop art collage paintings in his early work—formed the foundation of his visual language. Wrede’s approach shifted dramatically after a formative period overseas where he encountered European masterworks firsthand. Over time, his work has evolved toward more traditional realism. From a distance, many of Wrede’s paintings appear as smooth, photographic depictions of their subjects. Yet up close, the surfaces reveal a painter’s hand at work: layered, deliberate, and full of texture. Rather than subscribing to a single ideology or artistic lineage, Wrede embraces the pluralism of contemporary art and the eclecticism afforded by the present moment. His commissioned work has demanded adaptability and technical range, while his personal projects are often more exploratory and unified not always by subject matter, but by a restless curiosity. In a world overwhelmed with digital imagery, Wrede’s paintings offer an invitation to look again, to see more clearly, and to find continuity between past and present.
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Originally from the northwest suburbs of Chicago, Wrede (pronounced Ree-Dee) now works out of Seattle, WA. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame and completed his MFA at Kendall College of Art & Design. At 29 years old, Wrede is recognized as a leading young realist painter, with his works featured in private collections, galleries, and institutions across the county. His accolades include a First Place Prize in the Portrait Society of America’s 2024 Member's Only Competition and a Certificate of Excellence in their International Competition. Wrede has won numerous awards in regional, national, and international art shows, including Grand Prizes at the 42nd Michigan Fine Arts Competition and the 79th Wabash Valley Exhibition. He has been highlighted in several magazines including International Artist, Art and Color 365, and Southwest Art where he was featured as one of their “21 Under 31: Young Artists to Watch." His debut solo exhibition, Menagerie, opened in Birmingham, MI in the spring of 2025 and received positive reviews in Detroit Art Review. Wrede recently relocated to Seattle, WA to join the inaugural cohort of the Seattle Prize Fellowship.
STATEMENT
Timeline
My mission is to reaffirm and reinvigorate the status of Painting as a vital contemporary medium. In a world consumed by fleeting digital images and the relentless pace of modern life, I believe the timeless authenticity of oil painting holds unparalleled significance. I am deeply inspired by art of the past and constantly seeking how contemporary technique can honor classical tradition while innovating in its expression. Painting is not therapeutic for me. The infinite pursuit of beauty and excellence is. No other idea or goal is more sustaining.
1996 - 2014
Mount Prospect, IL
2014 - 2018
University of Notre Dame
I grew up in Mount Prospect, IL, and discovered my love for drawing at an early age. Although I was a three-sport athlete in high school and sports often took priority, my passion for art never faded. At the time, however, I wasn’t sure how to channel that passion into a career.
I was accepted into Notre Dame with the idea of majoring in graphic design or possibly something business-related. However, everything changed during my second semester when I took an oil painting class. It became clear that this was my true calling, and I fully committed to pursuing a career as an artist. In 2018, I graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Painting and Drawing.
2019 - 2021
Kendall College of Art & Design
After a brief teaching stint in France, I was still uncertain about how to navigate life with my new degree—especially since collectors weren’t exactly lining up to buy my paintings right away. Teaching seemed like a practical backup plan, so I decided to pursue a Master of Fine Arts degree. I found a small program in Grand Rapids, MI, and when they offered me a fellowship, I knew this would be the perfect place to call home for the next couple of years.
2022 - 2025
Grand Rapids, MI
I graduated with my MFA in May 2021 and made Grand Rapids my permanent home. I set up a studio in my apartment and built a career as a commission painter for collectors in West Michigan, Chicago, and beyond. Although my formal art education was complete, it was only after finishing school that I truly became a student of painting. During this time I was constantly applying for exhibitions and had my work recognized in several local, regional, national, and international shows.
at present
Grand Rapids, MI
Last spring I had my debut solo exhibition, Menagerie, at the Birmingham Bloomfield Arts Center outside Detroit, and over the summer I married my wife, Gillian, who plays a big role in my creative process. In October 2025, we relocated with our three cats to Washington state to join the inaugural cohort of the Seattle Prize Fellowship. I am currently hard at work making large studio pieces that fit the program's theme of Transcendent Rehumanism, and I'll be excited to share them in the coming months.